The smog tower at Connaught Place inaugurated by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has completed one month and is functioning at full capacity.
Scientists will conduct research on this smog tower installed as a pilot project in Delhi for the next 2 years. Scientists from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) are conducting the research. They observed a 90 per cent reduction in pollution level. When theteam reached here on Thursday, it observed that it was running at full capacity. Scientist of Delhi Pollution Control Committee Anwar Ali Khan said, ''All 40 fans of this smog tower are operational and 10,000 filters that have been installed are also working.''
Khan said, ''Its result is visible on the data login system. Compared to other areas of Delhi, there is a 90 per cent reduction in PM-2.5 and PM-10 levels. The team of scientists from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay is monitoring. We will do research here for the next two years. Work is also being done on how its cost can be reduced to a minimum.''
The total cost of this smog tower is Rs 20 crore. Out of this, Rs 7 crore has been kept for research and Rs 13 crore is the installation charge. Anwar Ali Khan said, ''From filters to fans, we had to import a lot of equipment from the US, which cost a lot. Now we can manufacture these all in India itself, which will reduce the cost by one third. Right now, it is running on electricity. We are trying to shift it to solar energy in the coming days.''
Environment Minister Gopal Rai is excited by the preliminary report on this smog tower. Talking toon this, he said, ''The trial of all its segments has been completed and now from October 1, it is going to run at full capacity. The primary report of the trial is quite positive and encouraging. But still, the team of scientists from IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is monitoring. On the basis of its result, the government will decide to move forward.''
There is another smog tower in Delhi, which has been installed by the central government in Anand Vihar. When asked whether two smog towers are enough for Delhi, Gopal Rai said, ''These two alone are not enough. Both of them are working as pilot projects. After their success, such smog towers will have to be installed at least in all the hot spots in Delhi. That is why we are waiting that once its proper study is done and its report comes, then we will proceed on the basis of that.''
It is noteworthy that, the height of this smog tower is 24.2 meters from the ground, while its plan area is 28X28 meters (784.5 square meters). This smog tower is made of RCC and steel. It cleans the polluted air from above and leaves one thousand cubic meters per second filter air below. For this, a total of 40 fans and 10 thousand filters have been installed in it.
( With inputs from ANI )
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