NEW DELHI – Indian capital New Delhi, which was the most polluted capital in the world in 2020 for the third consecutive year, gets its first ‘smog tower’ to curb air pollution particles.
The maiden initiative comes after the air quality index (AQI) surged to 1,239 which health experts termed catastrophic while the safe limit is 50. The concentrations of micro deadly particles in the air of the Indian capital exceed safe limits every year – by up to 20 times – mostly between the month of November till March – when the metropolis of around 20 million people is enveloped in a toxic dense blanket of smog.
The smog tower inaugurated at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in the Connaught Place area in New Delhi is capable to purify 1,000 cubic metres of air per second within a radius of around 1 km.
The tower is comprised of 40 giant fans and 5,000 filters, while the 82-foot tower sucks in pollution from the top. It then filters the air and pumps it out from the bottom, per Indian reports.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates smog tower at Connaught Place pic.twitter.com/MLK4RbBLg5
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2021
The much-awaited pilot project was inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday. Interacting with newsmen at the inauguration ceremony, the Aam Aadmi Party supremo said “Today is a big day for Delhi in its fight for clean air against pollution” saying that “the tower has been set up as a pilot project and initial trends will be available within a month”.
He further added “if the project is successful, then the more smog towers will be installed in the Indian capital. A study will be undertaken by experts to ascertain the efficacy of the anti-pollution project and a control room has also been formed at the site to monitor the operations of the smog tower”.
Climate experts calling it ‘absolute waste’
The climate experts and environmentalists are calling the project an absolute waste of assets as it comes with a mammoth cost of $2 million. Critics slammed the authorities for spending that much amount huge of national exchequer on such projects despite controlling carbon emission sources. At least 213 smog towers need to resolve the pollution issue in the Indian metropolis.
Vehicle exhaust, industries near cities, construction activity, the combustion of waste and fuel, along the burning of crops in neighboring regions are said to be the contributing factors that make New Delhi the world’s most polluted capital for the last three years.
An international climate watchdog, that monitors air quality levels, said the airborne particles that cause inflammation in the lungs and respiratory tract can lead to serious health problems
According to the World Health Organization report, the second-most populous country has reportedly 14 of the world’s 15 most polluted cities while a recent study found there were 1.67 million deaths in the South Asian country attributable to air pollution in 2019 – while around 18,000 were in the capital.
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