As the city’s air continued to be toxic, a team from IIT Bombay is studying the impact of the smog tower fitted with 5,000 filters.
There is more than 80% reduction in the particulate matter, a chief pollutant, that enters and leaves the tower. But this is just the efficiency of the filters; it will take time to know the actual impact of the tower at a distance away, a Delhi Government official said.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday that the Delhi Government will execute a five-point plan, including a campaign against open burning from Thursday, to reduce air pollution.
“This anti-open burning campaign will be run for a month. This is a joint drive involving the Delhi Pollution Control Committee; North, East, South Delhi Municipal Corporations; Revenue, Development, Irrigation and Flood Control Departments; Delhi Development Authority; Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC); and Cantonment Board. They will crack down on incidents of open burning of waste,” Mr. Rai said.
The Minister said these Government bodies have a total of 550 teams, of which 304 teams will work during the day and the remaining 246 will patrol at night.
He also said that directions have been issued to the departments to implement the phase two of the anti-dust campaign, which will begin on November 12 and end on December 12.
About the water sprinkling drive, Mr. Rai said at present, the exercise is being carried by the Public Works Department. “The fight will be intensified with the three corporations, Cantonment Board and DSIIDC pitching in to take the number of tankers deployed to over 400. This will provide immediate relief from the pollution to an extent,” he said.
The Minister also said that spraying of bio-decomposer in the entire area of 4,000 acres will be completed by November 20.
The smog tower, a pilot project, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 23. The 24-metre-high structure has 40 big fans and 5,000 filters. The fans suck in air which will be cleaned as it passes through the filters.
