40 sites, Rs 104 crore, 20% cut: Delhi’s new pollution-control plan eyes private sector

The Delhi government is turning to private firms and startups to tackle the city’s air pollution. For the first time, it is inviting them to test new technologies at 40 sites under a Rs 104-crore pilot project that aims to cut PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels by 20% at each location.

The sites, spanning 1 to 1.5 acres each, will serve as testing grounds for pollution-control solutions. The firms will also have to maintain the reduction in these locations, said officials in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). “Open or semi-enclosed public spaces in Delhi” have been shortlisted, including at Khan Market, Connaught Place and Defence Colony, where pollution-control technologies would be set up.

A real-time dashboard to watch local spikes in air pollution: Inside the country’s biggest monitoring centre Discussions and initial planning for the project began last month and technical reviews are being done this month. Officials said the pilot’s launch operators will be given a strict four-week window to fully install and commission the pollution-control devices once the sites are handed over.