Minister Agnimitra Paul says rose water to be used for mist spraying in Kolkata; environmentalist slams move

West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul says rose water will be mixed into mist spraying on special occasions, while environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh says the city’s air needs cleaning at the source Kolkata West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul has said that, on special occasions, rose water will be mixed with the water normally used for mist spraying to control air pollution in the city. The move drew criticism from an environmentalist, who argued that the city’s air needed to be cleaned at the source rather than through such cosmetic interventions.

In a Facebook post in Bengali, Ms. Paul said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has regularly been spraying water mist at various locations across the city, particularly in areas where the Air Quality Index (AQI) is relatively high.

This was being done under the direction of the State government to control air pollution in Kolkata and make the city’s environment cleaner.