Delhi CM Reviews New Anti-Pollution Technology

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inspected a cluster of newly installed anti-pollution devices in west Delhi on May 23 as her government began field trials under its “Innovation Challenge.” Gupta, accompanied by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, reviewed installations on Sat Guru Ram Singh Marg, the Kirti Nagar-Mayapuri stretch and near the Kirti Nagar fire station. The devices included 21 filterless air purifiers, an electric-vehicle-mounted anti-smog gun and the PAWAN III roadside pollution-control system. Delhi officials said the trials are meant to test whether locally developed technologies can be deployed more widely across the capital. ### Which technologies did Rekha Gupta inspect in west Delhi? Sat Guru Ram Singh Marg in Kirti Nagar was one of the main stops on the inspection route, where Gupta reviewed 21 STR-101 filter-free air purifier systems mounted on electricity poles along the central verge. Officials told local media the system is designed to reduce smoke, dust, PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and gases including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. The Kirti Nagar-Mayapuri stretch was the site of another demonstration, where Gupta inspected what officials described as India’s first EV-mounted anti-smog gun. The zero-emission mobile system sprays ultrafine water droplets to help settle dust and pollutants, and uses real-time particulate-matter sensors and internet-connected controls to regulate operations. Near the Kirti Nagar fire station, Gupta also reviewed the PAWAN III roadside pollution-control device. Officials said the system captures polluted air linked to vehicular movement and releases cleaner air after a multistage purification process. ### What numbers did officials give for the trial systems? India Today, citing officials, reported that each STR-101 unit can process nearly 300,000 litres of air every hour. The same report said the PAWAN III device had shown a nearly 29% reduction in particulate pollution in field tests. Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the pole-mounted dust-catching devices can collect dust within a radius of 400 square metres. Sirsa said the units generate alerts after about 15 to 20 days when they are full, allowing authorities to service them. The Delhi government has installed 15 to 16 pilot projects in parts of the city, Sirsa said, while 22 shortlisted innovations are in the current trial phase. Those projects emerged from the government’s Innovation Challenge, which Sirsa said was launched in October to invite proposals from startups, research institutions and individuals working on PM2.5 and PM10 reduction. ### What did Gupta say about the government’s approach? Rekha Gupta said the Delhi government would pursue anti-pollution work beyond the winter season. “Delhi’s campaign against pollution is not confined to a few winter months but is a year-round commitment to ensuring clean air and better health for citizens,” she said during the inspection, according to Hindustan Times and The Hindu. The chief minister said the government was studying technologies that could help control pollution on a larger scale in the capital. Hindustan Times reported that Gupta said scientific research, innovation and technology-driven solutions would be pursued alongside more conventional pollution-control measures. (hindustantimes.com) ### What are experts saying about these devices? IIT Delhi expert Mukesh Khare told Hindustan Times that such devices are not suited to Delhi’s ambient air conditions and said the government should focus on pollution at the source. He described the challenge as a “flux in, flux out” problem, arguing that cleaner air from such systems can quickly be replaced by polluted surrounding air. (hindustantimes.com) The government has not said the trial devices will replace source-control measures. Instead, officials have described the current phase as an assessment of on-ground performance before any larger deployment. ### What happens after the pilot phase? Sirsa said technologies that perform well in trials and are found effective by IITs and other laboratories could be approved for wider installation across Delhi. (hindustantimes.com) He said the government would continue working on any innovation that shows it can help clean the city’s air. (theweek.in) The next step is the evaluation of the 22 shortlisted innovations now under trial, with pilot installations already operating in multiple parts of Delhi. Any broader rollout will depend on those results and on assessments by IIT-linked and other laboratory reviewers, according to Sirsa. (theweek.in)