New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey on Wednesday inaugurated a prototype air pollution control tower developed by state-owned engineering firm BHEL in Noida.

To deal with the problem of rising air pollution in urban areas, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has indigenously designed and developed a prototype air pollution control tower (APCT), a company statement said.

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This APCT has been installed in Noida on a pilot basis by BHEL in association with the Noida Administration.

With this initiative, BHEL is working hand in hand with the Noida Authority in the fight against pollution in this area for improving the health of the residents, office-goers and visitors.

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The APCT was inaugurated by the heavy industries minister in the presence of Lok Sabha MP Mahesh Sharma and Pankaj Singh, MLA, Noida, BHEL Chairman & MD Nalin Shinghal, NOIDA CEO Ritu Maheshwari and other senior officials.

Addressing the gathering, the minister said it is a matter of pleasure that BHEL along with Noida Administration has taken this initiative at the local level to combat air pollution. Air pollution can be tackled by such active collaboration between industry and administration.

Stating that this is the need of the hour, Pandey said, "This APCT is completely indigenous, which will contribute to the success of the ‘Make in India' campaign of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. I am told that the cost of development of this product is low, which is a good thing. I am sure BHEL engineers will further improve this product and reduce its cost so that wherever there is a problem of air pollution, many such towers can be installed".

The National Capital Region is plagued with the problem of air pollution especially in winter months, with Air Quality Index deteriorating to hazardous levels, which is a matter of concern for the health of the local population.

Designed and developed by BHEL's Corporate R&D Division and manufactured at its HEEP Haridwar plant, the APCT operates by pulling polluted air through its base and capturing the particulate matter in filters installed in the tower.

Clean air is then released from the top of the tower. The captured particulate matter gets collected in the hopper at the bottom of the APCT for periodic removal for disposal.

BHEL's Pollution Control Research Institute, Haridwar, will carry out the performance study of the APCT for one year.

The tower has been set up on the traffic island between the DND Flyway and the slip road to Noida Expressway as pollution is high in this area due to the high volume of traffic.

The NOIDA Authority has provided land for the tower and is bearing 50 per cent of the running expenses.

All other developmental and capital costs on design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning and balance running expenses are borne by BHEL.

Based on the success of this project, a grid of such APCTs can be installed in NCR to improve the ambient air quality of the city.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)