Anand Vihar smog tower fully operational: PPCB

Amid past controversy over the effectiveness of the smog tower at Anand Vihar here, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has stated in a recent RTI reply that the tower is fully operational and continues to reduce particulate matter (PM) levels by “up to 20 per cent” within a 200-400 metre radius.

This claim contradicts several media reports over the past year highlighting that the tower was either defunct or running only intermittently.

In an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in October 2023, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had said the technology was impractical, noting that over 40,000 such towers would be required to improve city’s air quality.

Built at a cost of Rs 21-22 crore and inaugurated in 2021, the tower is operated and maintained by Tata Projects Limited. The CPCB cited a joint performance evaluation by IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi to support its claims of continued effectiveness.

Latest efficiency figures show a contrast from the earlier CPCB data. In an RTI response from October 2022 to the same applicant, Amit Gupta, the board had reported far higher reduction levels - 8-39 per cent for PM2.5 and 19-50 per cent for PM10 within a 20-100 metre radius.

“Now, they are simply saying up to 20 per cent at 200-400 metres. The drastic downward revision is surprising and disappointing,” Gupta said. He said the new reply “completely contradicts multiple ground reports showing the tower either not working properly or not at all”.

Gupta also flagged the tower’s staggering operational expenditure. The monthly maintenance fee alone is Rs 10.27 lakh, exclusive electricity costs, GST, taxes and additional 8 per cent project management charges paid to the NBCC. This brings the total monthly operational cost to Rs 11-12 lakh, even during periods when the tower was reportedly switched off. The total earmarked cost for the pilot project was around Rs 18.52 crore, excluding additional project charges. Delhi currently has two smog towers. The second one is located at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in Connaught Place. Built at a cost of Rs 22 crore by the Delhi Government in August 2021, this tower is currently non-functional.