Delhi Gets a Smog Tower: Let us understand what is Smog Tower?

Every year Delhi struggles to breathe, especially in September and October as they are considered the most polluted months of the year. The national capital is also hit by smog every winter. To fight this battle against pollution Delhi’s CM unveiled India’s first smog tower at Connaught Place, New Delhi. This smog tower can clear 1,000 cubic meters of air per second in a radius of 1 kilometre.

As per CM Kejriwal, “This step is taken as a pilot project. If the experiment is successful to curb the pollution, more smog towers will be installed across Delhi.”

India's first Smog Tower READY! 🇮🇳🤩

CM @ArvindKejriwal has reached Connaught Place to inaugurate it!#DelhiFightsPollution pic.twitter.com/4GgKeeWKSa

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) August 23, 2021

Is it worth investing in a Smog Tower?

The smog tower costs around US$2 million. It is located behind the Shivaji Stadium metro station in Delhi. This 24.2-meter-tall structure took 2 years to complete.

An official told PTI that a 2-year study will be conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the tower once it starts operating. A control room is also set up at the site for monitoring its operations.

While talking to South China Morning Post, project engineer Anwar Ali said, “the objective is not to clean the entire Delhi air, the objective is to create special zones, where people can breathe.” Well, experts have a different opinion on the same.

Read more:-Who is Justice BV Nagarathna? Is India going to get the 1st Women Chief Justice

Sunil Dahiya, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) says, “It may reduce pollution near the smoke tower, but the cleaning effect will not go beyond a few meters from the smog towers.”

“Cleaning the outdoor environment of such a big city will require several smog towers. They should be in motion 365 days a year. For operating these towers, a good amount of electricity will be a major need”, Sunil added.

The concerns of experts are true as the Delhi government generates most of the electricity from coal-based Thermal power plants (TPP). This will further add to the pollution of the city.

India's first ever smog tower inaugurated in Delhi. Its a 24 mtr tall structure which is expected to purify 1000 cubic metres of air per sec. How effective it is depends on how much of agri burning smoke blows Delhi's way from Punjab & Haryana. Its an experimental science so far pic.twitter.com/QaaNeitj6N

— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) August 23, 2021

What is a smog tower?

The smog tower has multiple layers of filters that trap fine dust particles as they pass through them. The fans installed at the top of the tower draws the polluted air which passes through filters. Finally, the clean air is released near the ground. The large-scale filters use carbon nanofibers as a major component which is fitted along with its peripherals.

Countries that are experimenting with smog tower

India is not the only country that is battling the problem of fresh air. In recent years, the cities of the Netherlands, China, South Korea, and Poland have also experimented with the same. The first-ever smog tower was erected in Rotterdam, Netherlands in the year 2015.

With another feather in the hat of AAP, let us take a look at AAP Ke Innovative Ideas

This is not the first time when the AAP government is experimenting with its Schemes and ideas.

Happiness classes

In 2018, Delhi’s Deputy Minister Manish Sisodia introduced the idea of happiness classes. It aimed to improve the mental well-being of students up to the 8th standard.

Odd-Even Scheme

To curb the pollution and fasten the movement of snarling traffic, AAP came up with the idea of Odd-Even in 2016 where private vehicles ending with an odd number will run on the roads at odd number dates and even number vehicles will run on even number dates.

Mohalla Clinics

Set up in 2015, Mohalla Clinics offer free health services to reduce the burden of medical expenditure from lower-income groups.

Bus Marshal

To ensure the safety of passengers, the Delhi government-appointed bus marshals in public buses.

Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also informed that the Centre government has also constructed a 25-meter-tall smog tower at Anand Vihar, Delhi. It is expected to be operational by the end of August.