Country’s first-ever smog tower installed

LAHORE:

Pakistan’s first ever ‘smog tower’ has been installed in Lahore in order to reduce air pollution and smog.

According to authorities, the performance of the smog tower will be monitored. Based on the results, the decision regarding installation of more smog towers will be taken.

The smog tower has been installed in the Mehmood Booti area of Lahore in collaboratin with Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDU).

Director General of Environment Protection Department Punjab Imran Hamid Shaikh said that the smog tower will be able to filter air up to 50,000 cubic feet per hour over an area of one kilometre. The field test of the tower will be conducted for 15 days, during which its ability to clear up pollutants caused by chimneys, industries and dumping sites will be ascertained.

The chemical pollutants in the air will be monitored via air quality monitors. If the experiment proves successful, a decision will be taken to install more smog towers. He further said the experiment is being conducted with support of private sector engineers. The environment protection departments will stand by private entities helping with the cause. Punjab government has not incurred any expenditure on the experimental tower.

Talat Qamar, vice president of the private company which developed the smog tower, said the tower is 20-foot high, and the height can be extended to 50-foot. The tower will consume very low amount of electricity and it could be run on solar, battery and regular electricity.

He said the tower has been manufactured locally after detailed study of smog towers manufactured by renowned companies. The cost of the indigenously developed tower is three times lower than those manufactured abroad.

He said that before installing the smog tower in Lahore, the company conducted tests in the laboratory and then at various sites in Islamabad and Gujranwala. The Mahmood Booti area has been selected because it has the highest air pollution. Just after installation of tower in this area, the AQI here has come down from 1600 to 250 in a few days. If 200 towers are installed in different parks, shopping plazas and commercial areas throughout Lahore, the city can be free from smog, he said.