Delhi smog: Experts dismiss Kejriwal's helicopter plan calling it a load of hot air

While Delhi is grappling with the deadly smog, its IITian Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come up with a novel solution. A solution so smart that it will instantly flush down the poisonous pollutants from the environment and bring instant relief to the people of city.

A drizzle from helicopter over the city is all that it will take, suggests Kejriwal. And the question that everyone seems to be asking is - why this is not being implemented ?

"Because the idea is a nothing more than a load of hot air" - experts on the subject unanimously agree. Professor Mukesh Khare from IIT Delhi, who has been working on the subject of urban air pollution for many years calls this the most impractical solution and emphasises that, if tried, it is going to be a colossal wastage of money and water.

"Nowhere in the world it has been used to bring down pollution. Water sprinkled from helicopter will dry quickly and it will be back to square one within few hours. Yes, water being poured from helicopter to douse fire is often used as it has to cover a limited area. But the thought of sprinkling water on a city spread in 1500 square km with helicopters is ridiculous", said Khare.

A FUTILE EFFORT

Charan Singh, senior scientist at Indian Meteorological Departemnt (IMD) too dismisses the idea. "'The smog is travelling from Punjab and Pakistan and getting accumulated over Delhi due to weather conditions. It will come again if even if you try to flush it down with a shower from helicopter."

Bhure Lal, the Chairman of EPCA ( Environment pollution Control Authority) laughed at the question and said that it had more to do with politics than pollution. When insisted to comment on the suggestion he said, "to tackle the dust in the environment which is causing the havoc, we need to check the source of the dust like uncovered kuchaa pavements. A tanker with a sprinkler attached to it can do it much more effectively and at a much lower cost. How will a helicopter ensure that it drops waters only on the soil pavements? And what will we achieve if we pour millions of liters of water on the road."

When asked Sunita Narain, the renowned environmentalist, about the idea of using helicopter to sprinkle water she scoffed at it with a satire. " This is not my idea and I don't know about any country that had used it. But Delhi government has very wise people with them so they must be knowing better." She added, ''everyone knows that helicopters generate a lot of air and dust''.

WHERE IS THE WATER?

But Polash Mukherjee, researcher at the Center for Science and Environment raises an even more basic question to puncture the Kejriwal plan.

"Where is the water? To cover a city as big as Delhi, you will need millions of gallons of water even for a light drizzle. Do we have this much of water available in Delhi or nearby? Will we use potable water which is already scarce? " asked Mukherjee.

Mukhrejee further pointed out that a tanker with a capacity of 25,000 liters barely covered few kilometers when used for sprinkling. According to him, using helicopter meant much more wastage.

Professor Khare said that cloud seeding seems to be a better option scientifically. But economics makes it unattainable. To condense the moisture in the sky, chemicals like silver iodide has to be used which is very costly. China has been doing it often, but can we afford to do it on such a large scale, is a question to ponder.

But Charan Singh at IMD explains that at this moment even cloud seeding to bring rains would not be possible. "Cloud seeding means you force the moisture content in the air with the help of chemicals to condense and pour down as rain. But currently there is hardly enough moisture in the air to bring about rains. But isn't the fog around us full of moisture ?" asked Singh.

CLOUD SEEDING

"All that moisture is hanging just above the surface of the earth. For cloud seeding to be successful, we need moisture in the air at the level of 3 to 7 km up in the sky. It's almost dry there now as it is usually during the winter time", said Singh.

While giving up on the drizzles that Kejriwal promised Delhites, it's easy to forget what brilliant ideas the CM came up with last year when similar smog had engulfed Delhi. He had floated the ''three tier plan'' of outdoor air purifies, mist fountains and virtual chimneys.

The chimneys remained truly virtual and the plan never materialised.

VIDEO | Air Pollution Plunges New Delhi Under Thick Veil of Smog