Delhi's CP smog tower reportedly locked up by staff. AAP minister claims ‘deliberate mismanagement’ by Centre

According to staff members, they have not received their salaries for the past month, and no written assurance of job security by the government.

The anti-smog tower installed in Delhi's Connaught Place is non-functional and reportedly locked by the personnel responsible for its operations due to non-payment of their salary, reported news agency ANI.

Delhi's CP smog tower. (ANI)

According to staff members, they have not received their salaries for the past month, and no written assurance of job security by the government.

Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that the mismanagement is being deliberately spread by the central government.

"Today all powers have been given to a few officials and now they are working as per their wish. First, they closed the smog tower but when the court scolded them, the smog tower was made operational. Now, I don't know under what circumstances it has been closed. Officials are not following the orders of ministers because they know that no action will be taken against them. I think this mismanagement is being deliberately spread by the central government," he said to ANI.

The national capital is engulfed with a thick fog layer and is affected by 'very poor' air quality levels during these winter months.

A team of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) officials in November 2023 restarted the non-functional tower, a day after the Supreme Court ordered the administration to immediately operationalise the tower amid the worsening air quality of the region.

Earlier in November last year, Delhi's environment minister Gopal Rai claimed that CP's smog tower has been inoperational due to non-payment by the Centre. "I thought it was important for the people in Delhi to know under what conspiracy the smog tower in Delhi was shut and who did it…" Rai had said.

The tower was developed at a cost of around ₹25 crore following an apex court order in 2020. It was inaugurated by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2021 amid much fanfare.

The tower has 40 large fans that draw air from the top of a special canopy structure and release clean air below – each fan is a 25 horsepower motor.

(With inputs from ANI)