Kejriwal to inaugurate Delhi's first smog tower on August 23
What's the story
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate Delhi's first smog tower at Connaught Place on August 23, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday.
The over 20-meter-tall structure being set up to improve air quality in a radius of around one kilometer, will "operate at full capacity" after the monsoon season, the minister told reporters.
Approval
COVID-19 pandemic delayed the construction work: Rai
"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate the smog tower on August 23. Thereafter, experts will ascertain its impact on pollution. Based on the results, we will take a decision on installing more equipment," he said.
Rai had earlier said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the construction work of the smog tower.
The Delhi cabinet had approved the pilot project in October last year.
Smog tower
Tower will purify 1,000 cubic meters of air per second
The smog tower will be able to purify 1,000 cubic meters of air per second, according to Rai.
A two-year pilot study will be undertaken to ascertain the effectiveness of the smog tower after it becomes operational, an official said.
A control room has been set up at the site to monitor the operations of the smog tower.
Support
Another 25-meter-tall smog tower has been built at Anand Vihar
"Another 25-meter-tall smog tower, built by the Central government at Anand Vihar in Delhi, is expected to become operational by August 31," officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.
Tata Projects Limited (TPL) is building the two smog towers with technical support from IIT-Bombay, which, in collaboration with IIT-Delhi, will validate their performance.
Information
NBCC India has been appointed as a project management consultant
NBCC India Ltd. has been appointed as a project management consultant. The CPCB is the nodal agency for the tower at Anand Vihar, while the Delhi Pollution Control Committee is the nodal agency for the one coming up at Connaught Place.
Cost
Towers are being built at cost of Rs. 22cr each
The two towers will have 1,200 air filters each developed by experts at the University of Minnesota in the United States which also helped design a 100-meter-high smog tower in Xian, China.
The smog towers, being built at a cost of Rs. 22 crore each, are estimated to reduce the concentration of PM 2.5 up to 70 percent in a one-kilometer radius around them.