Mumbai: Increasing construction activities in the city have added to air pollution. Owing to this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to introduce vehicle-mounted 'anti-smog guns' in Mumbai to spray water in an effort to settle dust in areas with poor air quality. Accordingly, a tender has been invited to purchase 30 units of anti-smog guns.
Poor AQI in city
The city has been experiencing poor air quality for the past few days after the monsoon season. Several parts of the suburbs recorded a poor Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday, with Andheri at 346 and Mazgaon at 317. However, the situation improved on Wednesday with Mazgaon at 197, Bhandup at 162, and Andheri at 139. An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered very poor and triggers a health alert for everyone. The lower the AQI value, the cleaner the air.
A higher AQI indicates greater air pollution and health concerns. Mumbai witnessed poor air quality last year between November 2022 and January 2023. Deepak Kesarkar, the guardian minister (city), said, "Construction activities have increased in Mumbai, leading to air pollution. However, it is not chemicals but dust pollution, so we need to spray water to settle the dust particles. Taking a cue from Delhi, we have decided to use vehicle-mounted ‘anti-smog guns’ in Mumbai."
An anti-smog gun is a propeller gun connected to a water tank mounted on a vehicle, which spews fine nebulized water droplets that absorb small dust particles and settle on the ground. It is designed to convert water into a fine spray with a droplet size of 50-100 microns using high-pressure propellers. "A tender has been invited to procure 30 anti-smog guns. The vehicle-mounted machine will be available for the city in the next two months. The machine will be used to spray water in a fine mist to settle dust particles in areas where the AQI is poor," said a civic official. According to civic data, around 5,000 construction and infrastructure projects are underway in the city. To curb air pollution, a seven-member committee formed by the BMC prepared a 'Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan' in March. It suggested immediate and long-term measures in the same regard. The BMC has also formed a task force at the ward level to inspect construction sites and take action against violators.
