Cash-For-Oxygen Catching on in Polluted Calcutta August 20, 2002 09:23 AM ET CALCUTTA, India (Reuters) - Lean back in a plush leather chair, pay cold cash and breathe pure oxygen.

That's a deal increasing numbers of people are lapping up in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta as they struggle to cope with the metropolis's foul air.

Cashing in on rising concerns about air pollution, two brothers have started Calcutta's first oxygen parlor, where customers can sink back in soft leather chairs, inhale oxygen flavored with various scents and be lulled by soothing music.

"The response has been great. We get bureaucrats, policemen, college students, housewives, corporate bigwigs -- all looking for a way to fight pollution and stress," Rajeev Madhogaria, who owns "Oxyzone" along with his brother, Sanjeev.

A U.N.-sponsored study released earlier this month said a cloud of smog covering southern Asia is putting the health of millions at risk.

Calcutta is one of India's most polluted cities. Many of the city's 15 million inhabitants complain of fatigue and headaches due to emissions from the thousands of taxis and buses.

The brothers said they were surprised by the response with hundreds willing to shell out $3.60 for 20 minutes of pumping oxygen into their lungs.

Besides single sittings, Oxyzone also offers memberships, although its rates are likely to be out of reach for many people in a country where the average annual per capita income is $450.

But Purbasha Majumdar, a 20-year-old college student, is an oxygen-seeker who evidently believes it's worth the money.

"The smoke from diesel vehicles gives me a headache and makes me tired," Majumdar said, waiting for her turn to breathe oxygen scented with an array of aromas such as sandalwood, lemon, orange and lavender.

"This is good way to fight pollution, relax and feel refreshed."

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2002