New Delhi, March 10 Twenty-two entries have been finalized to move into the next phase of an "innovation challenge" for on-ground trial runs across the city to tackle air pollution, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.
Trial devices will be installed at identified pollution hotspots in the coming weeks to rigorously measure their effectiveness in reducing particulate pollution and other key parameters, the officials added.
The Delhi government's innovation challenge was launched to identify the most practical solutions to tackle air pollution, with the challenge originally receiving a total of 284 applications.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday took stock of the work done over the last several weeks, including finalisation of testing protocols, availability and readiness of devices, and coordination with innovators for deployment, following which he has directed officials to ensure that the trials are “scientifically robust, transparent and geared towards quick decision making on what works best for the national capital.”
"The trials will help us identify the most practical, high impact technologies that can be rapidly deployed to protect Delhi’s air," Sirsa said, adding that detailed protocols, locations and deployment plans have been worked out after extensive deliberations and follow ups with innovators by the Internal Technical Evaluation Committee (ITEC).
Officials added that among the 22 devices that have progressed to the trial run stage on the recommendation of the expert technical committee, 13 solutions are focused on controlling vehicular pollution, such as vehicle mounted air purifiers, retrofit emission control systems, bio alkaline exhaust scrubbers and other retrofit technologies for buses, trucks and gen sets.
The remaining nine devices target ambient air, including modular and stationary air purification systems, dust suppression units, smog control technologies and other solutions designed for open spaces, road corridors and industrial or construction zones, they added.
“This Innovation Challenge is a mission to find real, measurable solutions that can cut pollution on the ground. As these 22 devices go into trial at some of Delhi’s most affected sites, our only benchmark will be evidence: which technologies deliver clear, consistent reductions in pollution and can be scaled up quickly," Sirsa said.
As the trial phase begins, the Environment Department and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will closely track performance data from all deployed devices, with periodic reviews at the ministerial level. The outcomes of these trials will inform the final selection of winning solutions and the road map for their integration into Delhi’s broader clean air strategy.