Delhi govt to hire mist spray drones to combat dust pollution

PTI New Delhi: The Delhi government is going to hire three mist spray drones to combat dust pollution in hotspot areas as well as gather real-time data on major pollutants, officials said on Thursday. These drones would be deployed across 13 identified pollution hotspots to spray water and improve air quality, they said. This will help in settling dust particles, reducing particulate matter (PM) concentrations and mitigating the adverse effects of air pollution on public health and the environment, officials said.

"The process for hiring a vendor to operate the three drones has begun as a 15-day trial in hotspots areas," said an environment department officer of the Delhi government. The drones would be equipped with a minimum 17-litre tank and would be capable of covering one acre within 15 minutes.

Also, these will integrate real-time air quality monitoring systems and highresolution cameras for accurate data collection and reporting, officials said. The Environment department may provide access to CORS a network of reference stations that provide geospatial data crucial for accurate mapping, surveying, and various applications that require precise geographical positioning and assistance of the Survey of India for the actual area covered by the drones.