New Delhi, April 3 Around 33 prototypes selected under the Delhi government's "innovation challenge" to find solutions for air pollution are set to enter the second phase for testing, according to officials familiar with the matter.
These include solar-powered pole-mounted dust traps, filterless smoke and dust carbon-capturing devices, electrostatic mist sprayers, models for smart dust suppression and monitoring systems, and retrofitting vehicle-mounted air purifiers to improve the emission quality of cars.
These innovations – selected from a vast pool of applications – were showcased at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in January this year, as part of an exhibition. The challenge, launched by the Delhi government, aims to find practical solutions to tackle the city's air pollution.
An official said, "The innovation challenge is now ready to enter the second phase, where testing will begin, and the government will be providing all the necessary infrastructure required for the testing."
The official added that the testing is expected to begin in the first week of May and is likely to be completed within the next three months.
An eight-member expert committee, headed by IIT Professor Sagnik Dey, will review the proposals to identify the most practical and cost-effective solutions for air pollution. Following this, the finalized innovations will be adopted by the Delhi government for implementation.
Another official told
"The plan so far is to proceed with the testing of all 33 innovations. As we move forward, we will start selecting the most efficient technologies," the official said.
The winning projects will also be eligible for incentives from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, including Rs 5 lakh after successful evaluation by the expert committee, and up to Rs 50 lakh for solutions verified by National Physical Laboratory-equivalent labs and recommended for government adoption, as per the guidelines.
