Revellers thronged popular destinations in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal on Saturday to enjoy the last day of the year with family and friends.
Lakhs of people visited tourist spots such as Alipore Zoo, Victoria Memorial and Indian Museum in Kolkata, Eco Park in New Town, Bandel church in Hooghly district and Mukutmanipur in Bankura district. Crowds were also drawn to handicraft and music fairs in the city, while many visited seaside resorts such as Digha and Mandarmani in Purba Medinipur and Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas and others organised picnics at riverbanks. High-profile clubs and hotels also hosted late-evening concerts for members and select guests.
Celebrations were not held last year due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of coronavirus. Major thoroughfares of the city were manned by police personnel, who implemented traffic restrictions, as crowds swelled as the evening progressed. Iconic Park Street and VIP Road in the Lake Town area were brightly illuminated on the occasion. Multiplexes and single-screens also witnessed large crowds as Bengali releases on Christmas vied with Bollywood flicks.
Soumashree Banik, a class 9 student, said, "Last two years were terrible. I could not go out during Christmas and New Year. This year, however, I want to make the most of it." Meanwhile, 'very poor' Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the city on Saturday. An official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board told PTI that AQI worsens during winter because particulate matter (PM) hang in the air close to the ground and get mixed with fog, causing respiratory problems. AQI of 336 (PM 2.5) was recorded in Bidhannagar, 320 at Victoria Memorial and 316 in Rabindra Bharati University, he said, adding all these are categorised as 'very poor'. Ballygunge air monitoring station recorded AQI of 294, which is 'poor', he said, adding the AQI updates were of 5 pm.
Last year, the average AQI in the city in late evening and midnight of December 31 was 330. Environmentalist S M Ghosh claimed that revellers hitting the streets in vehicles increased air pollution during the day. On the other hand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted the prevalence of fog on Sunday morning but clear skies as the day progresses. The maximum temperature will be 27 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature will be 15 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said on Saturday.
