Smog Tower • A smog tower is a large-scale air purifier, fitt | UPSC Civil Services (IAS)

Smog Tower

• A smog tower is a large-scale air purifier, fitted with multiple layers of filters which trap fine dust particles suspended in the air.

• Air is drawn through fans installed at the top of the tower, passed through filters, and then released near the ground.

• The large-scale filters expected to be installed in the towers in Delhi would use carbon nanofibres as a major component which will be fitted along its peripheries.

• Height of smog towers would be 20 m.

• The 20m (65 ft) high smog tower will trap particulate matter of all sizes suspended in the air.

• Smog tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load.

• The first such tower was erected in 2015, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

• Smog towers have been experimented with in recent years in cities of Netherlands, China, South Korea and Poland.

• Smog Towers of Delhi would be designed by collaboration between IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and University of Minnesota.

Effectiveness of Smog Towers

A smog tower can reduce 50% of the particulate matter load in an area of 1 km in the direction of the wind, as well as 200m each along its sides and against the direction of the wind.