New Delhi: Connaught Place and Khan Market are among the several key locations in Delhi where the government will soon instal mist sprayers on electric poles as part of a phased project to tackle dust pollution.
Covering 24 roads and several high-footfall public areas, the initiative will cost over Rs 15 crore and will be rolled out in three phases, aimed at mitigating the effects of dust pollution in the national capital, an official told PTI.
Under Phase-I of the project, the government’s civic agency plans to instal misting systems along 10 prominent roads, including Barakhamba Road, Firozshah Road, Sikandra Road and Bhagwan Dass Road. Estimated to cost Rs 7.97 crore, 511 poles with 15,330 nozzles will be deployed in this phase.
Roads such as Mandir Marg, Tilak Marg and Subramanian Bharti Marg are among the longest stretches in Phase-I.
Mandir Marg, which is 1,790 metres long, will have 114 poles and 3,420 nozzles. Tilak Marg, at 1,230 metres, will be equipped with 61 poles and 1,830 nozzles; while the 2,210-metre Subramanian Bharti Marg will have 67 poles and 2,010 nozzles.
“This expansion will be completed in the next three to four months, before the onset of winter,” Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told PTI.
“Following Supreme Court directions, the government is making every possible effort to reduce toxic air pollution in the capital for its residents. We have also directed that work be carried out in all identified hotspots,” he added.
Phase-II of the project will cover 14 additional roads, including Shahjahan Road, Aurobindo Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent and Ashoka Road. In this phase, the MCD will instal 530 poles and over 15,300 nozzles, at an estimated cost of Rs 7.31 crore.
Aurobindo Marg, spanning 1,950 metres, will be equipped with 95 poles and 2,850 nozzles. Mother Teresa Crescent, stretching 1,970 metres, will have 65 poles and 1,950 nozzles; while Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, at 1,000 metres, will have 61 poles and 1,830 nozzles.
Apart from road corridors, the MCD also plans to instal mist fogging systems at several high-footfall public spaces under Phase-III of the project.
These include Hanuman Mandir, Khan Market and Connaught Place.
The misting system at Hanuman Mandir will cost approximately Rs 82.7 lakh, while Khan Market’s installation is estimated at Rs 76.3 lakh. Connaught Place will have systems in both the Inner and Outer Circles, with costs of Rs 1.01 crore and Rs 1.18 crore respectively.
The total cost for these four prominent public locations stands at Rs 3.79 crore.
Misting systems are currently operational at three locations — Lodhi Road, Shanti Path and Africa Avenue. The work at Lodhi Road, which spans 550 metres and includes the installation of 15 poles, has already been completed.
Installation is underway at Shanti Path and Africa Avenue, both of which are 900 and 850 metres long respectively, with 30 poles each.
Each pole is fitted with 30 nozzles and the average cost for setting up the system is approximately Rs 35 lakh per kilometre, officials said.
The misting systems work by spraying a fine water mist through these nozzles to cool the surrounding air and suppress airborne dust particles, providing both thermal comfort and improved air quality.
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.