BEST installs mobile air purifiers in buses for improved air quality

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has installed air purifiers in 15 diesel buses to improve air quality in Mumbai. The initiative will be extended to 350 buses in the next two months. The filters can clean up to 15,000 cubic meters of air per hour, capturing 12-15 grams of suspended particulate matter.

Mumbai: To ensure better air quality, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has installed air purifiers in 15 of its diesel buses. The initiative, which commenced last month with a trial in one bus, will soon be extended to 350 buses operating across the city.

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“We will be installing it in 350 buses in the next two months. This will be like a moving air purifying machine,” said a BEST official.These buses are namely from Anik depot which will be extended to buses from other depots as well. This has been installed by the contractors appointed by BMC while MPCB is coordinating for the same with BEST. Although each filter costs around ₹50000, they’re being procured through corporate social responsibility

The air purifiers require filter replacements every 2-3 months. The first filter was added to bus route number 60, connecting Mazgaon and Kurla. An additional 14 more filters were installed this week, with a plan to fit 335 filters on buses to purify city air during transit.

This strategy involves utilising detachable High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, transforming buses into mobile air purifiers. Capable of cleaning up to 15,000 cubic meters of air per hour, these filters can capture 12-15 grams of suspended particulate matter. Operating on velocity, they require no additional power, making them a sustainable solution for combating air pollution on the move.