Amid the incessantly aggravating air quality of the national capital city of Delhi which has led to the formation of a thick blanket of haze, the smog tower, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2021, has been reported to be non-functional as several experts have found it to be ineffective.
Earier, following the inauguration amid much fanfare, a team of ten peple including engineers, operators and helpers were deployed to manage the smog tower. However, it has been now reported that the team was removed seven months ago.
About the smog tower at Connaught Place
As per media reports, the 24-metre tall smog tower holds the capacity to purify 1,000 cubic metres of air within a one-kilometre radius per second.
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The tower is equipped with 40 fans and 5,000 air filters to absorb the polluted air and release clean and filtered air.
The smog tower in Connaught Place was installed on an experimental basis.
Pollution cocntrol board ordered shut down
Citing inefficiency of the tower, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had earlier suggested the shutdown of the smog tower. The decision came after conducting a two-year-long project which revealed that the reduction in Particulate Matter (PM) was only around 12 per cent to 13 per cent at a distance of 100 metres from the smog tower.
The committee suggested that the site be upgraded and used as an environmental and climate change innovation centre.
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Moreover, a meticulous study conducted by the IIT-Bombay also inferred that the smog tower's capacity to reduce the concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 was similarly low, even at distances of 300 metres and 500 metres.
The DPCC further stated that the impact of the tower was very limited when looking at macro air quality.
Delhi's AQI
Delhi's air quality index (AQI) jumped from 351 at 10 am on Thursday to 471 at 9 am on Friday, falling in the severe category.
As the AQI neared the 500 mark, several restrictions kicked in, including shutting down all government and private primary schools for two days.
The deterioration in the air quality is due to highly unfavourable meteorological conditions and a sharp spike in stubble-burning incidents in neighbouring states.
