New Delhi: Before they take aim at Delhi’s dust clouds this winter, 200 truck-mounted anti-smog guns must clear a fitness test.
The exercise comes ahead of the Nov 15 deadline set for deployment of the fleet. The committees will inspect the 200 machines proposed to be rolled out under a three-year project, along with 10 additional ones set to be to be pressed into service as an interim measure. The move follows directions of the PWD minister, conveyed through minutes of a meeting held by environment department on Oct 28, according to a PWD office order. Under PWD’s plan to launch a special drive for intensive cleaning and dust control across its 1,400-km road network in Delhi, each of the anti-smog guns will be used to clean at least 200 metres of road every day. The three-year project envisages rolling out the 200 machines from Sept to June of three consecutive financial years starting 2026-27.
The department has asked the two committees to accord priority to the exercise so that the machines found fit can be deployed at the earliest. The droplets bind with airborne dust particles, making them heavier so that they settle on the ground. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
Public Works Department (PWD) has set up two committees to physically inspect the machines and certify that they are fit to be deployed, making it clear that none can be installed or operated without their approval. “No vehicle will be permitted to be installed, operated or deployed unless its fitness is certified by the committees. They will conduct field-level inspections in accordance with the terms and conditions of the tender and verify the equipment,” the order states. The fitness certificate issued by the committees must be securely affixed to the windscreen of each machine. The department has directed executive engineers in all road maintenance divisions to arrange the field inspections immediately, coordinate with the committees and assist in checking the guns. The committees will oversee the inspections in PWD’s Shahdara, East, North-East, Project, South, South-East and South-West circles. Anti-smog guns are truck-mounted machines that use powerful fans and nozzles to spray a fine mist of water. This is among several measures, along with road cleaning, mechanical sweeping and sprinkling of water, used by authorities to tackle dust pollution in Delhi. Download the TOI App.