Why Delhi’s smog towers are an ‘unscientific’ answer to air pollution in India

Last-minute emergency measures and unscientific planning will not solve India’s annual toxic smog phenomenon, reports Stuti Mishra in Delhi

Workers climb a ladder at the 25-metre-high smog tower, built to purify the air during peak pollution season, in New Delhi (AFP via Getty)

Every year in November, India’s northern cities are engulfed by a toxic brown haze that forces schools and workplaces to shut and leaves millions of people gasping for breath.

And each year, the government’s response is as predictable as the recurring phenomenon.

This involves last-minute measures, including lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. This year, however, the government of Delhi – the world’s most polluted capital – is depending on one more tactic to combat the worsening air pollution: newly built anti-smog towers in the city.