Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the construction of Delhi's first smog tower at Connaught Place, which was supposed to be ready by June 15.

Expected to be ready by August 15, the smog tower will have a capacity to purify 1,000 cubic meters of air per second. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee is the nodal authority of this tower and is working jointly with IIT Mumbai, National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited) and Tata Project to build this smog tower at Baba Kharag Singh Marg, Connaught Place.

“Delhi is the first State to establish a smog tower. The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down the construction work of the tower which is the first-of-its-kind in India.  The work is being expedited and it will be ready by August 15. We are making this tower on a pilot basis and based on the success of this work, more such towers will be built across the Capital," he said.

The Minister said that the Delhi Government is making this tower on a pilot basis and based on the success of this work such towers will be built across the Capital.

The total cost of this tower is Rs 20 crore and its height is around 25 meter. "The Delhi Government had launched a war against air pollution and has taken several steps to combat air pollution such as bringing the tree transplantation policy, anti-dust pollution campaign, electric vehicle policy, the ‘Red light on Gaddi off’ campaign and many others,” he said.

He said the Delhi Government is the first to come up with a solution to stubble burning by using bio decomposer. “We are also holding a mega plantation drive across the Capital. The AAP Government is working based on a 10-point action plan to combat air pollution," he said.