Chandigarh admn cuts power to India’s tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it

Following this, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) issued a notice to the firm for the removal of the air purifier within three months. The firm, however, sought time and allowances from the UT Administration.

“We have disconnected the power supply and directed the firm to remove the structure with immediate effect. Two studies were conducted, and it was found that the air purifier was not delivering the results as claimed. So, it’s of no use, and thus, we took the decision,” CPCC Member Secretary Saurabh Kumar told The Indian Express.

In July, the CPCC governing body had decided to terminate the contract with the firm.

The firm bore the cost of the 24-metre-tall tower on its own, but the UT Administration would supply electricity to operate the device and pay approximately Rs 25,000 monthly, around Rs 3 lakh annually, power bill for the tower, according to an official.

The company had claimed that the air purifier tower would clean air in a radius of 500 metres. While operating for 18 hours a day, it was stated that the tower would reduce the ambient temperature by a few degrees, and cut pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxides, and sulphur dioxide by up to 50 per cent.

The air purifier tower was a pilot project of the Chandigarh administration, which had then decided to install similar air purifier towers at six major intersections in the city. However, the failure of the pilot project came as a setback to the decision.

“Transport Chowk was chosen for the pilot project as it witnesses heavy vehicular traffic, and thus, heavy vehicular emissions, but it never purified the air as claimed by the firm,” a UT official said.

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