Celebrities, authors appeal to CM Mamata Banerjee to lift cycle ban in Kolkata

KOLKATA: An appeal to the chief minister through an open letter for lifting ban on bicycles on 64 major roads got endorsement from a parliamentarian, authors, film directors, playwrights, actors, sportspersons, social scientists, an economist, a judge and a fashion designer. All want people to cycle around the city to reduce pollution load. Ironically, Kolkata traffic police, which is implementing the ban, is the biggest victim of air pollution.

Some of the eminent people who have endorsed the open letter include member of Parliament Saugata Roy, writers Amitav Ghosh and Ruskin Bond, actor-film director Aparna Sen, Olympian archer Rahul Banerjee, singers Usha Uthup, Anupam Roy, clinical director, oncology, Suman Mallick, sportsperson Dola Banerjee, actor Anindya Chatterjee, photographer Raghu Rai, human rights activist Sumanta Banerjee, economist Jean Dreze and director of Hazard Centre, Dunu Roy.
Other prominent names include actor Dia Mirza, cricketer Varun Aaron, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Mohandas Pai, chairman, Aarin Capital Partners, senior advocate Justice Anjana Prakash, fashion stylist Prasad Bidapa, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi and activist Aruna Roy.
Air pollution affects respiratory and cardiovascular health of traffic cops, said Vinay Jaju, the founder, SwictON, which spearheaded the campaign.
Among 64 major roads, where cycling is banned, are Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Rashbehari Avenue Connector and Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, to name a few.
A study — Evaluation of Impact of Ambient Air Pollution on Respiratory Health of Traffic Police in Kolkata — by researchers from Sister Nibedita Government General Degree College for Girls, Kolkata and University of Kalyani, found that high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) resulted in reduced lung function — the impact is more on police personnel towards north Kolkata followed by south and central zones. A total of 228 police personnel participated in the study of which 128 undertook pulmonary lung function tests.
The survey also showed many traffic cops with restriction of lung expansion, obstruction and narrowing airways. “We found PM 2.5 and PM 10 are key polluting agents in Kolkata. Though ambient air quality varies across locations and with seasons, traffic cops working were found to be seriously vulnerable due to long term exposure,” said Subhashis Sahu, associate professor and head, department of physiology, University of Kalyani and co-author of the study.