Smog towers no solution to Delhi-NCR pollution: Centre not in favour of more giant air purifiers, say sources

Smog towers no solution to Delhi-NCR pollution: Centre not in favour of more giant air purifiers, say sources

Smog towers are not a solution to the air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR and the Centre is not in favour of installing more giant air purifiers, central government sources said on November 9.

They said the effectiveness of smog towers in combating air pollution was discussed at an emergency meeting attended by officials from the Commission for Air Quality Management, states and the ministries concerned on Wednesday. The sources also said that stubble burning in Punjab is the major reason behind air pollution in Delhi-NCR during the paddy harvesting season.

"Smog towers are not a solution to the air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR. The central government is not in favour of installing more such structures in the future," a source said. In 2021, two smog towers were installed in Delhi — one at Connaught Place under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and another at Anand Vihar under the Central Pollution Control Board — following the Supreme Court's directions.

The smog tower at Connaught Place was temporarily shut down due to "unilateral" directions by Delhi Pollution Control Committee's Ashwani Kumar, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had claimed. On November 7, the Supreme Court directed that the smog tower at Connaught Place be made operational.

On November 8, a team of Delhi government officers restarted the smog tower. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the smog tower at Anand Vihar reduced PM2.5 concentration by up to 17 per cent and PM10 pollution levels by up to 27 per cent in a radius of 100 metres during the 2021-22 winter season.

The Delhi government said last year that the Connaught Place smog tower could reduce air pollution by 70 to 80 per cent within a radius of 50 metres and by 15 to 20 per cent up to 300 metres.