Drone mist-spraying pilot project in hitch for high costs, limited results

A pilot project that involves the use of drones to spray mist at pollution hotspots has not been approved over the high cost and lack of measurable results, an official has said.

The technology was proposed as part of Delhi's 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat worsening air quality. Officials have deemed the project costly and ineffective, stating it has failed to deliver significant, measurable improvements.

"The technology is extremely expensive and does not provide noticeable advancements compared to existing methods, which are already yielding better results at a fraction of the cost," an official involved in the evaluation told PTI.

On November 8, a demonstration of the project was conducted at Anand Vihar, one of Delhi's most polluted areas.

During the demonstration, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai highlighted challenges posed by hotspots, such as narrow roads or congested areas where traditional modes of transport, such as trucks, cannot reach.

"Pollution levels in these hotspots are higher than the average AQI in the capital. This is where drones can be particularly effective," Rai had said.

He added that if the trial proved successful, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) might consider procuring more drones for widespread deployment.

"If we get promising results from today's testing, we will move forward with formal tenders to acquire additional drones," he had said.

Officials, however, remain sceptical about the practicality of the technology.

"The technology we are currently using is already delivering similar results The drones, while innovative, only rise a few metres to spray water, which hasn't shown any noticeable impact so far. In this situation, we are not confident about the technology," an official said.

"Hence, opting for drones doesn't make much sense. The existing methods are already providing actionable results and can be deployed extensively across the city without incurring the high costs associated with drones," the person added.

Delhi government has identified 13 pollution hotspots, including Anand Vihar, Mundka, Wazirpur, and RK Puram, which all consistently experience worse air quality than the rest of the city.

The city's air quality reached alarming levels on November 17, with the AQI touching 450 and entering the severe-plus category for the first time this year.

In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region (CAQM) imposed Stage IV restrictions, the strictest level of action under the Graded Response Action Plan.

The restrictions came into force on November 18 morning, when AQI levels reached a hazardous 494 the city's second-worst air quality in six years.

The air began to improve a little by early December with the help of wind. By December 1, it had improved to the 'poor' category.