PWD to hire 200 anti-smog guns to combat Delhi's air pollution

New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to hire 200 anti-smog guns at the cost of Rs 58 crore to deploy across the national capital, officials said on Friday.

According to the latest order issued by the department, water-sprinkling anti-smog guns fitted on a truck are under process of hiring, and a budget of Rs 58,834,480 has been approved.

"Budget allocation for providing service of 200 of truck-mounted anti-smog guns on a hire basis for 5 months in two shifts from October 2025 to February 2026, for dust pollution control with environmental messages on the machines," the PWD's order states.

According to officials, procurement of these machines is ongoing and more will be hired soon.

"The smog gun should have a throw power of not less than 50 metres horizontal distance, 330-degree rotation in the horizontal plane and 60 degrees tilting in the vertical plane, and the size of droplets should be in the range of 10 to 30 microns," says the tender notice issued by the PWD.

The machines will operate in 8-hour daily shifts, spread across all the 11 zones of the PWD.

An anti-smog gun is a device to combat air pollution which will spray atomised water to settle the dust and other suspended particles in the atmosphere. Equipped with a water tank on a vehicle, it can spray water up to a height of 50 metres to settle dust particles and PM 2.5.

"The machines should be available on hourly basis. Each anti-smog gun should also have 24 stainless steel nozzles to atomize the water," the tender said further.

The government has been strict on anti-dust norms not being followed at construction sites by the contractors. PTI SSM NB