New Delhi: Smog towers are not a solution to the air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR and the Centre is not in favour of installing more giant air purifiers, central government sources said on Thursday. They said the effectiveness of smog towers in combating air pollution was discussed at an emergency meeting attended by officials from the Commission for Air Quality Management, the states and ministries concerned on Wednesday.
The sources also said that stubble burning in Punjab is the major reason behind air pollution in Delhi-NCR during the paddy harvesting season. "Smog towers are not a solution to the air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR. The central government is not in favour of installing more such structures in the future," a source said.
In 2021, two smog towers were installed in Delhi - one at Connaught Place under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and another at Anand Vihar under the Central Pollution Control Board - following the Supreme Court's directions. The smog tower at Connaught Place was temporarily shut down due to "unilateral" directions by Delhi Pollution Control Committee's Ashwani Kumar, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had claimed. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed that the smog tower at Connaught Place be made operational. On Wednesday, a team of Delhi government officers restarted the smog tower.
