Delhi PWD to hire 200 truck-mounted anti-smog guns for dust control

The Public Works Department of Delhi plans to hire 200 truck-mounted anti-smog guns to control dust pollution on the roads of the national capital during the winter season, officials said on Wednesday.

The anti-smog guns will also be deployed at construction sites and other areas as part of measures to curb air pollution, following Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s recent direction to strengthen monitoring ahead of the winter season.

“The anti-smog guns will have a water tanker with a capacity of not less than 7,000 litres, along with cameras in the front and back. A driver, operator and a helper would be included by the company providing the anti-smog guns,” an official said, adding that a tender for the project has been issued.

According to the tender notice, the smog guns should have a throw power of at least 50 metres horizontally, 330-degree rotation in the horizontal plane and 60-degree tilting in the vertical plane. The size of water droplets should be in the range of 10 to 30 microns.

The machines should be available on an hourly basis, and each anti-smog gun should also have 24 stainless steel nozzles to atomise the water, it said.

An anti-smog gun sprays atomised water to settle dust and other suspended particles in the atmosphere. Mounted on a vehicle equipped with a water tank, it can spray water up to a height of 50 metres to settle dust particles and PM 2.5.

According to officials, the PWD plans to launch a special drive for deep cleaning and dust control along all its 1,400-km road network.

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“Two hundred anti-smog guns will be tasked with deep cleaning at least 200 metres of road daily. The activities include removal of dust from road areas, cleaning of kerb channels and bell mouths, debris removal, and coordination with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi,” the official said.

Gupta, at a high-level meeting, had warned that strict action would be taken against officers failing to meet the targets. She had also directed that the dust-control norms should not be limited to the winter season and should extend to the summer season as well.