Delhi to deploy 200 anti-smog guns for winter road dust control

Delhi's PWD plans to hire 200 truck-mounted anti-smog guns for roads and construction sites this winter. The move widens the capital's dust-control push, with strict monitoring and deep cleaning ordered across the city.

Delhi's Public Works Department plans to hire 200 truck-mounted anti-smog guns to control dust pollution on roads across the national capital during the winter season, officials said on Wednesday. The machines will also be deployed at construction sites and other areas as part of steps to curb air pollution.

The move follows Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's recent direction to strengthen monitoring ahead of winter. Officials said the PWD also plans a special drive for deep cleaning and dust control across its 1,400-km road network.

"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 air. Mounted on a vehicle fitted with a water tank, it can spray water up to a height of 50 metres to settle dust particles and PM 2.5.

"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.

At a high-level meeting, Gupta had warned that strict action would be taken against officers who fail to meet the targets. She had also directed that dust-control norms should not be limited to the winter season and should continue in the summer as well. In all, the plan combines anti-smog deployment, construction-site monitoring and road cleaning as part of Delhi's dust-control drive.