Staggered office timings to anti-smog guns, here's what Delhi govt is doing to curb air pollution

Delhi has been in the news since the past few weeks due to its deteriorating air quality, and the situation does not seem to get better anytime soon.

Even on Saturday, Delhi recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 335 at 9 am placing it in the 'red zone' and making it the most polluted city in the country, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

PM2.5 remained the key pollutant on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the BJP govt in Delhi is taking some steps to curb the pollution and bring the AQI to normal levels. Let's take a look at some of these measures.

Staggered timings for govt offices

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced staggered working hours for Delhi government and MCD employees from November 15 to February 15 in view of rising pollution in the city.

According to an official statement, Delhi government offices would now function from 10 am to 6.30 pm and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices from 8.30 am to 5 pm, it said.

At present, Delhi government offices operate between 9.30 am and 6 pm, and MCD offices from 9 am to 5.30 pm.

The statement said that since there is currently only a 30-minute gap between the two schedules, the city experiences heavy traffic congestion, both in the morning and the evening, aggravating the city's air pollution.

Anti-smog guns

Amid the plummeting air quality, a total of 91 public and private buildings have already installed anti-smog guns to combat air pollution.

The Delhi government had mandated that all private and government buildings with a height of G+5 floors and above must install anti-smog guns by November 29.

The government has set a target that 150 buildings in the city should have anti-smog guns.

Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) is also planning to hire 200 anti-smog guns at the cost of Rs 5.88 crore to deploy across the national capital, officials said on Friday.

According to the latest order issued by the department, water-sprinkling anti-smog guns fitted on a truck are under process of hiring, and a budget of Rs 58,834,480 has been approved.

Mist spraying system

The Public Works Department (PWD) will install mist spraying systems at one of the most polluting locations in Delhi, Anand Vihar, to combat air pollution, officials said on Thursday.

This would be the fourth top polluting location in the city where PWD has planned to install the dust-suppressing mechanism.

Before this, projects have also been initiated at the Narela, Bawana and Jahangirpuri areas, which are among the top 13 polluting locations.

The systems will spray RO water, having a total capacity of 2,000 litres per hour. The cost of the project is Rs 4 crore, which includes operation and maintenance for five years, he added.

Dust removal from roads

The Delhi government has launched a series of anti-pollution measures including an intensive drive for deep cleaning of roads for dust removal with deployment of 200 maintenance vans.

Besides, teams have been formed to monitor polluting industrial units and vehicles, while focused work continues to normalise identified pollution ‘hotspots’, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

The government has launched the drive for sweeping of the roads and removal of debris lying on pavements, with a focus to improve air quality.

(With PTI inputs)