Targeted Technology Smart Poles Expected To Boost Delhis Air Pollution Fight

A first-of-its-kind target-based model to select pollution-control technologies and digital smart poles — that display live data on pollutants and may have tools installed like mists to clean the air — are set to boost Delhi’s fight against air pollution.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told The Indian Express that after the ongoing trials and technical assessment, the government is planning to introduce a target-based model to select pollution-control technologies — companies and innovators under the model will have to demonstrate efficiency before being considered for wider deployment. Under the Delhi government’s Innovation Challenge, launched last October, 22 technologies are being tested, including 13 aimed at vehicular emissions — one of the biggest contributors to Delhi’s air pollution — and nine at reducing ambient pollution.

The government will shortlist the firms and invite bids through a request for proposal (RFP), he said. The technologies will then be evaluated against specified pollution-reduction targets. For instance, a technology that can demonstrate a 30% reduction in pollution would be preferred over one offering a 20% reduction, provided the claims are scientifically established and the technology meets other requirements, the Minister said.

Besides the display boards installed outside the Capital’s air-quality monitoring stations, pollution parameters can now be read on smart poles. Close to Rajghat Memorial, one of the seven spots where these poles have been installed in Central Delhi, the digital display shows PM2.5 and PM10 levels, updated every five minutes, along with the volume of air it claims to have cleaned.

On Monday evening, the display read: “Total Air Cleaned (cu ft) Last 24 hours: 4,04,697.”

The move comes as the Delhi Environment and Forests Department has extended by about a month the deadline for IIT Delhi, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to complete the evaluation of technologies currently under trial. The assessment was earlier expected to be completed by May, with recommendations to the government by July. The final recommendations are now expected by September 10 The Indian Express has learnt.

Among the technologies being tested are vehicle-mounted air filters, particulate matter collectors, retrofit emission control devices (RECDs) for BS-IV vehicles, dust collectors and after-treatment systems for heavy-duty diesel vehicles.

Ambient pollution-control technologies include large-scale air purifiers, air-treatment towers, pole and road-divider dust collectors and particulate-aggregation systems.

The trials are being conducted at locations including ISBT Kashmere Gate, the Red Fort area, primary health centres, fire stations and roads in Punjabi Bagh, Kirti Nagar and Rohini, said officials.

IIT Delhi, National Physical Laboratory and International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), are undertaking independent monitoring, with the aim of assessing the actual pollution-reduction performance of the technologies.

Among the technologies already deployed are an EV-mounted anti-smog gun, the PAWAN III roadside pollution-control system and the ShuddhVayu vehicle-mounted air filter.

At Satguru Ram Singh Marg (Rama Road), 21 units of the STR-101 filter-free air-purification system have been installed on electricity poles along the central verge. Officials said the system can treat nearly three lakh litres of air an hour and is being monitored through IoT-based systems.

The EV-mounted anti-smog gun, being tested along the Kirti Nagar-Mayapuri stretch, uses high-pressure water sprays to settle dust and other particulate matter, officials said. PAWAN III, installed near the Kirti Nagar Fire Station, draws polluted air from near the road and passes it through a multi-stage purification system.

Sirsa said these are pilot deployments, and technologies that perform well during the trials could subsequently be taken up on a larger scale.