The Delhi Government on Wednesday put the anti-smog gun to test at national Capital’s highly-polluted Anand Vihar in the presence of Environment Minister Imran Hussain and senior officials of the environment department.
Hussain said the Government will take a call on whether to use the device elsewhere in the city after monitoring data collected by a team of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
However, the real-time concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 at the Anand Vihar monitoring station of the DPCC increased from around 10 am when the trial started as air quality across Delhi-NCR worsened on Wednesday with the return of “smog situation” and particle pollution crossing “severe plus or emergency” mark across several locations, officials said.
The hourly readings of PM2.5, were 444, 421, 476, 509 and 460 between 10 am and 2 pm, while the corresponding readings of PM10 were 630, 608, 736, 842 and 702 microgram per cubic metre (ug/m3).
As pollutants’ levels rose again on Wednesday, the usefulness of the anti-smog cannon could not be verified instantly. The 24-hour prescribed standards of these ultrafine pollutants, which trigger respiratory and cardiovascular issues, are 60 and 100 respectively. The device, which costs around Rs 20 lakh per unit, was largely centred around the DPCC monitoring station.
Vivek Chattopadhyay, the programme manager for Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the effect of such devices is limited by space and time.
“The range of such devices are very limited. It affects, if at all, the air volume of the immediate surroundings where the spraying is done. The effect diminishes after the spraying is stopped,” he said.
Chattopadhyay said resources should instead be mobilised in tackling the sources of pollution by taking small yet more effective measures such as preventing open burning of garbage and scientific management of landfill sites.
Anand Vihar, a densely populated commercial zone in east Delhi, remains severely polluted through the year due to the presence of a bus terminus, which is unpaved at many places, and its proximity to the Uttar Pradesh border where a large volume of trucks ply.
The Minister said the Delhi Government is working on a concrete road map for the reduction of air pollution in Delhi and the Chief Minister has directed him to ensure that steps are taken all the year-round for reduction of air pollution in the city.
According to the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), Delhi and surrounding regions will see smog - the noxious mixture of pollutant in air - for the next few days.
Environment Secretary Anil Kumar Singh on Tuesday apprised lt Governor Anil Baijal of the trial run of anti-smog gun.
In the meeting, the l-G directed authorities to ensure management of municipal solid waste completely in a time frame of 16 months.
“The plan should cover a time-frame not exceeding 16 months and also indicate the exact requirement of funds. The chief secretary has been asked to coordinate and finalise it,” the l-G office said in a statement.