Sky-high hopes tempered as 82ft smog tower cut PM2.5 by just 17%

The 82-feet-high smog tower at Anand Vihar, inaugurated in September last year to clean the air in a 200metre radius, only brought down the PM2.5 level by a maximum 17% within 100 metres of it during the 2021-22 winter.

- Kushagra Dixit

This fact was disclosed by the Central Pollution Control Board in response to an RTI query filed by RTI activist Amit Gupta. According to the data, the tower reduced PM2.5 pollutants by 13% in December, 7% in March this year, and 17% in April around 100 metres of it. The data for November, January, and February for 100 meters wasn't provided.

Within 50 metres range, the RTI stated, 39% of PM2.5 was reduced in November 2021, 22-24% in December 2021, 22% in January, 10% in March, and 23% in April.

Gupta had sought similar data for the smog tower at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, which was inaugurated by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in August 2021, but didn't receive it. The RTI response, however, stated that the tower was installed at a cost of over Rs 22.9 crore with an additional Rs 2.6 crore spent on maintenance and operation by Delhi government's environment department.