Cannaught Place Smog Tower turns non-operational after AQI drops to “severe”

Delhi’s “Smog Tower” at Cannaught place is locked up and not operational. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal opened the facility in August 2021 with great excitement.

The 23 crore smog tower in Delhi’s Cannaught Place, which was ceremoniously opened by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in August 2021 with great fanfare, has vanished under the “severe” air pollution that the capital and it’s surrounding areas are experiencing.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) may have recommended the smog tower’s closure in a letter to the environment ministry of the Delhi government in October. The letter noted that the DPCC’S two-year evaluation of the facility had shown that the reduction in particulate matter was only approximately 12-13% at a distance of 100 metres from the tower.

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The DPCC went on to say that the location ought to be improved so that it can serve as a hub for environmental and climate change innovation.

In addition, the facility has been vacant for the previous seven months.

Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reports that the national capital’s air quality index (AQI) has declined to “severe”. Residents of the national capital awoke to a thick blanket of smog once more on Friday.

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The government of Delhi issued an order on Thursday to close all elementary schools fo the days of Friday and Saturday. The National Capital Region (NCR) which encompasses Delhi, has already implemented limits.