Experts, however, said it is not a long term solution. Praveen Khanna Experts, however, said it is not a long term solution. Praveen Khanna

While the rest of the city remained shrouded in smog, the Delhi government ‘made it rain’ for a few brief minutes at the Anand Vihar ISBT on Wednesday. The government hopes that the “anti-smog gun”, inspired by similar efforts in China, will be vital in fighting smog in the future. The only problem: the experiment had met with “limited” success in China.

The anti-smog gun or the fog-cannon, officials explained, consists of a cylindrical drum with a tank that stores water, along with a high-velocity fan that blows out tiny water droplets when water is pumped through it. These droplets form a mist of water that clings on to pollutants and washes it down, imitating rain.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, pollution levels in the capital entered the “very poor” zone after a gap of over a week due to a drop in wind velocity and increase in humidity. The cannon is a part of the plan that was presented to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal last week that stressed on “precipitation scavenging” — a method through which airborne pollutants are attached to precipitation elements and deposited on the surface of the earth — as a regulatory measure to combat smog. The presentation, sources added, had also cited use of similar measures in China.

As per China Daily, the state-owned English-language newspaper published in the People’s Republic of China, “Experts have found they’re (water cannons) effective, but have limits. They are, officials said, only one of the measures being taken. Tough restrictions on emissions is still the best way to control air pollution for the long term.”

Experts in Delhi agreed, explaining that the water cannon was, at best, a localised move, effective at bringing down dust levels. Anumita Roychoudhury, of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and a member of the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA explained, “This will only work in a local situation. It can’t work for citywide air pollution. If there are patches where there is construction, or unpaved road areas — then instantly dousing the area with this will bring down air pollution for a short period of time. But it is not a long-term solution.”

Bhure Lal, chairperson of EPCA, said, “This is a measure by the Delhi government, but it is obviously not a long-term solution. However, like rain does, it too will bring down some amount of pollution for a period of time.”

As per environment minister Imran Hussain, the move is a “first-of-its-kind field experiment”. In a statement, he said, “In the coming days, the department will conduct many such experiments to ascertain which equipment is best to control the major contributors of air pollution, particularly in the winter season.” A senior official of the environment department said, “We will monitor the efficacy of the move and use it accordingly. The idea is that it should be used at times of extreme smog.”

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