Delhi's Air Battle: How Mist Systems on Shanti Path Fight Pollution Crisis

"The NDMC plans to install these systems in two phases - the first phase covering 10 major roads, and the second covering 14 additional roads," said Chahal, assuring that the civic agency is taking intensive measures to control air pollution.

He said in the fight against air pollution, the manpower and machinery are operating round-the-clock, the Vice Chairperson said.

Chahal also shared details of using Anti-Smog Guns as part of the action plan being implemented to tackle the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, said an official statement.

He said on Tuesday, the Delhi-NCR AQI continued to remain in the "very poor" category, with the average Delhi AQI recorded at 346 at 5.30 AM, placing most areas in the red zone.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, the NDMC has launched a comprehensive pollution control drive focusing on dust suppression, smog reduction, greening, and public participation, said the official statement.

The key initiatives by the NDMC to curb air pollution include mechanical road sweeping (MRS), deployment of anti-smog guns and installation of mist spray systems.

Chahal said the NDMC operates 4 MRS machines to clean approximately 220-230 km of avenue roads daily in two shifts.

Five new CNG-operated MRS are being procured for enhanced cleaning of roads and lanes, he said.

Procurement is also underway for 4 battery-operated MRS for lane-by-lane sweeping and 4 small ride-on sweepers for footpaths and parking areas, he said.

Chahal said eight mobile Anti-Smog Guns (ASG) are deployed daily, covering 320-340 km of NDMC roads.

Ten ASGs have been installed on private high-rise buildings, and 3 ASGs on NDMC's own buildings.

Seven additional ASGs are being procured for further installation on NDMC buildings; tenders have been invited.

Shedding light on the use of Mist Spray Systems, he said systems installed at a height of 5 to 6 meters on electric poles have been introduced on a trial basis.

"Fifteen mist spray units have been installed along Lodhi Road to control localised dust pollution. About 1,323 poles covering 29.5 km of road length have been identified for system installation," he said.

He said tree washing, washing of footpath by using pressure jet machines and greening and plantation are also part of the steps being taken by the NDMC to counter pollution.

"There are 22 markets in the NDMC area. The NDMC has started night cleaning of footpaths in three markets, namely Connaught Place, Khan Market and Sarojini Nagar," he said.

Chahal said the NDMC has deployed three pressure jetting machines and one litter picker to clean the footpath of these markets.

The NDMC is also proposing to cover all 22 markets in the coming year by cleaning the footpath, procuring 10 water sprinklers, 5 more pressure jetting machines, 9 more litter pickers and 10 floor cleaner machines to minimise the dust pollution in the NDMC area.

- IANS