CM Kejriwal inaugurates Delhi government’s first smog tower

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday inaugurated India’s first smog tower at Connaught Place, which will filter pollutants in the air within a one-km radius

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday inaugurated India’s first smog tower at Connaught Place, which will filter pollutants in the air within a one-km radius.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (File photo)

Inaugurating the smog tower at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Kejriwal said it has been designed using “American technology” which will suck in polluted air from the top, filter out pollutants, and release clean air from the bottom.

“This is among Delhi government’s many efforts to improve the air quality of the city. We are operating this on a trial basis and teams from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will be monitoring how effective this is,” said Kejriwal.

He added, “If it proves successful, more such towers will be set up all over Delhi. This has been developed under the expert supervision of scientists from IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi, so we are hopeful that it will yield the desired results.”

The smog tower, which was constructed on the directions of the Supreme Court, is 20-metre high and was cost ₹20 crore.

Senior DPCC officials said that the effectiveness of the tower will be studied for the next two years and the initial findings are likely to come out by the next month.

Another such smog tower is coming up at Anand Vihar. This is being constructed by the Central Pollution Control Board and is likely to be inaugurated by August 31.