New Delhi: With air quality deteriorating post-Diwali and the national capital staring at a spike in air pollution levels, the Delhi government on Monday asked the Centre to use helicopters for aerial water sprinkling in the city to settle the dust particles.
To seek his support for the plan, Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain, in a letter to Union environment minister Harsh Vardhan, said that the Delhi government would bear the expenses in this regard from its air ambience fund.
The air quality in the city breached the “very poor” and “severe” mark after Diwali even though the Supreme Court had temporarily banned the sale of firecrackers.
“In view of the continuous poor air quality in Delhi, it is requested that your office may kindly propose to the Union civil aviation ministry to carry out an exercise to sprinkle water aerially through helicopter/aircraft to settle the dust particle matters in the city” Mr Hussain said.
“I hope innovative positive responses by the Centre and the Delhi government can help in protecting the health of residents,” he added.
It is not clear where the idea of hiring helicopters has come from. But at one of the hearings of the National Green Tribunal held in November last year, this idea was floated by its chief justice Swat-anter Kumar when he took officials to task for not taking enough steps.
“Why can’t you use helicopters to create artificial rain to control dust pollution. Are they only meant to carry your officials,” a bench led by justice Kumar had asked after smog covered the capital for more than a week with millions complaining of eyes burning and of a persistent cough.
Mr Hussain has directed officials and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to regularly monitor air quality. The environment department of Delhi government has asserted that thorough monitoring of air quality would be continued till it becomes standard.
Last October, the AAP government had annou-nced a plan to put in place three-tier air treatment system, including setting up of wind purification units, mist fountains and virtual chimneys at five major traffic intersections on a trial basis.
Later, when pollution had reached alarming levels after Diwali, the government announced a plan to install outdoor air purifiers at five major traffic intersections — Anand Vihar, ITO, Sarai Kalen Khan, Kashmere Gate and IIT (Delhi) or AIIMS. But these proposals haven’t seen much progress.
Ultra-fine particulates, which can measure up to 30 times tinier than the width of a human hair and reach the bloodstream of a person through the respiratory system, pose serious health risks.
