Delhi air pollution: drones to monitor 13 hotspots in a first

For the first time in Delhi, drones will be deployed to monitor air pollution at 13 of the city's most polluted hotspots.

This initiative is part of the newly launched Winter Action Plan, unveiled by Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday. The plan includes 21 key measures aimed at reducing pollution during the winter months.

Drones will provide real-time data on pollution sources, allowing authorities to take immediate action to mitigate air quality issues. According to an environment department official, the tender process for acquiring the drones is expected to be finalized within a week.

"Once the tender is finalized, the drones will be deployed to monitor pollution at these hotspots," the official stated, adding that each location will receive one or two drones based on the severity of pollution.

The drone monitoring is part of a larger strategy that includes anti-dust campaigns, increased street cleaning, water sprinkling, and measures to curb stubble burning.

Minister Rai emphasized the significance of drones in this year's pollution control efforts. "For the first time, drones will enable real-time monitoring of pollution hotspots, improving both accuracy and response speed compared to last year's manual checks," he said.

The drones will identify pollution sources such as construction dust or vehicular emissions, and swift actions will be taken based on this data.