According to the Russian TV Today (rt) reported on the 23rd, the chief minister of New Delhi, India, celebrated the "big day" of "fighting for clean air" on the 23rd, because the Indian capital used the first so-called "smog tower", which tried to reduce harmful particles in the surrounding air.
Screenshot of the russian RT website report
Set near the busy Connaught Place shopping district, the installation consists of 40 huge fans and sits on a 25-meter-high tower. Engineers at the project say the device can filter 1,000 cubic meters of air per second and cut the number of harmful particles around it in half.
Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the Delhi Metropolitan Territory, praised the opening of the "Smog Tower" on the 23rd, saying that this day is "an important day for Delhi to strive for clean air and fight pollution". It is understood that this "smog tower" cost 2 million US dollars. Kejrivar explained that the city government will use data from the tower to assess its effectiveness and determine whether building more installations will help solve the city's air pollution problem.
Image source: Kejerival Twitter account
Air pollution levels in New Delhi often rise to more than 20 times the safe cap, and in winter, the city is often shrouded in a thin layer of smog. This toxic fumes are caused by a combination of vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, waste and fuel combustion, and crop burning in certain nearby areas.
Associated Press infographic
Karthik ganesan, a member of India's Energy, Environment and Water Commission, warned that building such towers was "ineffective" and "an absolute waste", and he suggested spending the money on tackling the source of smog rather than filtering the air.
According to information released by the World Health Organization, 14 of the world's 15 most polluted cities are currently located in India. A 2020 study claimed that 1.67 million deaths in India in 2019 could be related to air pollution. (Editor: HHJ)