Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to inaugurate country's first smog tower on August 23

File Photo

New Delhi: The country’s first smog tower will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 23, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday (August 19). 

The smog tower, located at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, will clean 1,000 cubic metres of air every second and reduce PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels in Delhi, ANI reported. 

PM2.5 is defined as fine particulate matter suspended in the air that is two and a half microns or less in width.

"I am certain that the smog-tower built at the cost of Rs 20 crores will contribute immensely towards this cause. The smog tower will work with full force after the monsoon season. The scientists of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee will accordingly assess the performance of the tower and present a monthly report,” Rai told the news agency. 

Further, the Delhi Environment Minister said if the smog tower is found effective, more such towers will be set up across the national capital. "If the performance of the smog tower is found to be satisfactory, then we will replicate similar smog towers throughout Delhi.”

Rai, who inspected the progress of the project on the ground, added, "I am confident that the smog tower will yield positive results for us. It must be noted that Central Government is also constructing one such tower at Anand Vihar. This is being done after Supreme Court ordered both Delhi and Central Government to immediately install smog towers in the national capital.” 

Meanwhile, as per Swiss Air Quality expert IQAir report, 22 Indian cities including Delhi, Bulandshahr, Bhiwandi, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow, Faridabad and Meerut are in the top 30 most polluted list. 

Another report, prepared by British company HouseFresh, placed Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad in the second most polluted city spot out of the 50 'most polluted cities' in the world in 2020. Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan contribute to 49 out of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide, the report added. 

(With ANI inputs)