PWD to deploy 200 mobile anti-smog guns on Delhi roads from Oct to Feb

The Public Works Department plans to deploy 200 privately operated truck mounted anti-smog guns between October and February under the pollution control action plan in the upcoming winter season, senior officials have said. The project is expected to cost around ₹19 crore and initially these units will be deployed on eight-hour shift basis but the frequency will be increased during the vulnerable months, they added.
A senior PWD official said that the environment department on September 12 granted administrative approval for the mounted anti-smog guns. “We have been asked hire services of 200 such units on hiring basis for five months. These machines will operate in single shifts in October 2024 and February 2025. However, three shifts will be started from November 1 till January 31. The trucks will also display environmental messages,” the official added.
The PWD operates these machines during the winter season on the 1,400km-long-arterial road network where the road width is more than 60feet. “The road network is divided in three divisions — North, East and South. Of the 200 machines, maximum 72 will be deployed in the East zone followed by 70 in North zone and 58 in South zone,” the official added.
PWD official said that the expenditure sanction permission has been received from the environment department and file has been moved to finance ministry for release of funds. “We will soon call tenders to appoint agencies for deployment of these machines,” the official said.
An anti-smog gun is a device that spews fine nebulised water droplets into the atmosphere so that the smallest dust and polluted particles are absorbed. The gun is connected to a water tank which is mounted on a vehicle. It is designed in such a way that it converts the water into a fine spray with droplets size of 50-100 microns by passing it through high-pressure propellers. These devices were first deployed by government in 2017 and their presence both in terms of stationary guns on top of high-rise buildings, landfills and offices as well as mobile units, has significantly increased. “Deployment of anti-smog guns has also become mandatory for larger construction sites to control dust generated during the construction activity,” the official added.
Dust remains one of the key pollution components in Delhi. A study by the IIT-Kanpur has shown that dust from roads, digging and agriculture accounts for the highest suspended particulate matter sources in Delhi, contributing 38% of PM2.5 and 56% of PM10 in Delhi. It is estimated that more than 131 tonnes of dust is generated everyday in Delhi with construction sites, loose soil, road dust and poorly maintained roads being some of the key contributing factors.