The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has unveiled a new initiative to tackle the city’s persistent air pollution by installing mist sprayers on electric poles. The project, which will start on Lodhi Road, is planned to expand to other areas such as Shanti Path and Africa Avenue in the coming phases.
This move comes in response to the city’s ongoing battle with hazardous air quality, with pollution levels often exceeding safe limits.
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has consistently fallen in the “very poor” to “severe” categories, driven by factors such as vehicular emissions, construction dust, and seasonal stubble burning.
These conditions have led to significant health risks, prompting the implementation of emergency measures, including water sprinkling and construction activity restrictions.
The first phase of the mist sprayer project will see the installation of 15 mist sprayers along a 500-meter stretch of Lodhi Road. Each electric pole will be equipped with five nozzles, creating a total of 30 spray points per pole.
The system will consume 81 liters of water per pole per hour, sourced from sewage treatment plants to conserve fresh water. To support the system, four water tanks, each with a 5,000-liter capacity, will be used.
The project is set to begin in 2025, with a timeline for completion, and will be expanded to other areas within the NDMC jurisdiction after the Lodhi Road pilot.
This initiative is part of a larger set of measures by NDMC to address pollution, including the deployment of Mechanical Road Sweepers (MRS) equipped with GPS tracking, anti-smog guns to reduce dust and particulate matter, and water tankers to maintain roadside greenery.
The council also uses treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs) to reduce fresh water wastage. Other efforts include strict dust control enforcement at construction sites and tree plantation drives.
NDMC’s Smart City Integrated Command and Control Centre monitors the effectiveness of these pollution control measures in real time.
The mist sprayer project, part of NDMC’s broader push for sustainable solutions, aims to improve air quality and create a cleaner, greener environment in line with the government’s goals for better urban living standards.
The pilot on Lodhi Road is expected to serve as a model for other parts of the city and could be expanded to combat air quality issues more broadly.
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