With air pollution in the national capital rising to increasingly grim levels, the Kejriwal-led Delhi government has come up with a novel idea—to carry out aerial sprinkling of water over Delhi, using helicopters or aircrafts, to settle down dust and other particulate matter in the air.
Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain, on Monday, wrote to the Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, requesting him to take up the with the civil aviation ministry the proposal to carry out aerial sprinkling of water over the capital.
Hussain wrote in the letter that the exercise was needed to settle particulate matter in Delhi in the winter months.
“With the onset of winter season, Delhi faces a critical phase of air pollution due to various reasons including stubble burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana and bursting of crackers during Diwali,” he wrote.
He said adverse meteorological conditions like calm wind and low temperature aggravate the pollution levels, especially the concentration levels of particulate matter namely PM2.5 and PM10 in the ambient air.
The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, in its meeting on October 17, has decided to enforce provisions of very poor and severe categories of Graded Response Action Plan in the national capital, till March 15, 2018.
“In view of the continuous poor air quality in Delhi, it is requested that your good office may kindly propose to the ministry of civil aviation, government of India, to carry out an exercise to sprinkle water aerially through helicopter/aircraft to settle particulate matter in Delhi,” Hussain wrote to Vardhan.
He said the Delhi government was willing to bear the expenses from the Air Ambience Fund of Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The proposal has been made even as the Delhi government is considering another spell of odd-even restrictions on cars in the capital this winter.
