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With Winter coming, air pollution in India is going to once again hit crisis levels soon. At the individual level we can wear masks and use air purifiers in our homes, but more broadly, cities and municipalities have also been installing outdoor air purifiers over several years now — but do these actually work? Have smog towers and outdoor air purifiers made an impact on the air quality in India? Despite the outdoor air purifiers and smog towers, the PM2.5 concentration in India air is currently 5.2 times above the WHO annual air quality guideline. The air quality in India is simply not getting better even after all the money and efforts spent to curb the air pollution problem in the country. We talked to a number of experts to try and understand why this is, and whether there are any better solutions possible.

Cities like Mumbai have been deploying Wind Augmentation Purifying Unit (WAYU) since 2015, in an effort to cut down the air pollution problem in India. Major Indian cities like Delhi and Bengaluru have also resorted to installing outdoor purifiers and smog towers along the city roads in an effort to curb pollution problems. Delhi got a new smog tower in Connaught Place in August this year.

Yet, India stood third in a list of top ten countries that had the worst air quality in 2020, coming only behind Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to research by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) — a Delhi-based policy research institute — Delhi’s air quality in winter 2020 was worse than winter 2019 despite the lockdown. The study also found out that Delhi residents were exposed to air that does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (60 µg/m3) for more than half of 2020 despite low economic activity levels for close to eight months (March to November) due to the pandemic-induced lockdown.

According to Tanushree Ganguly, an air quality researcher from CEEW, the air pollution that India is facing is an urban infrastructure problem. “If there is an unpaved road, it is bound to have more dust,” Ganguly said. “Vehicular pollution also results in air pollution. In winters, a significant amount of pollution also comes from biomass that people burn for their heating requirements.”

Are outdoor air purifiers a solution to air pollution problem?

WAYU devices, jointly developed by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) have been around since 2015. The Central Pollution Control Board had installed WAYU units across some major locations in Delhi in 2018.

“Its creators claim it can reduce pollution at busy traffic junctions by 40-60 percent,” Dr. Prashant Gargava, member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board, had said at the time of installation.

“The air pollution levels change depending on the time it was measured,” Ganguly said. “So when was it measured, in what area is the air quality being improved — is it just within ten metres of the air purifiers or within 500 metres of the air purifier — all these factors need to be considered to show that it is really making any impact. I have not come across any publicly available research or database which clearly says that WAYU devices have actually impacted air quality in the 500 metre radius.”

“There is a constant dynamism in the system and you are not just trying to address sources of pollution which are present at the moment; you are also trying to address the sources which are outside the city,” she added. “I’m not sure how these filters are able to cater to these varying dynamics outdoors. I think the idea is to have credible evidence on their impact before we go ahead and have them across the city.”

Vivel Chattopadhyay, Senior Programme Manager of the Clean Air Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy organisation based in Delhi said that apart from the installation costs, outdoor air purifiers come with several added costs.

This includes the cost of maintenance, cost of the filters which will have to be changed periodically, components like sensors which require periodic calibration, operational costs, manpower, the cost of the land which is being occupied by the air pollutants and more. These are not easy to solve problems, but the companies making these solutions are also aware of them and working on solutions.

“We have nano-filters in our outdoor air purifiers which can be reused up to four times, thus saving a lot of maintenance costs, “ said Rajeev Krishna, founder of ATechTron, a product development company based in Bengaluru. ATechTron have installed their outdoor air purifiers in locations including Marathahalli junction, Whitefield, and PR Nagar in Bengaluru.

How can we really solve the air pollution problem?

CEEW had suggested in their research that Delhi needs a dedicated air quality forecasting cell to facilitate the rollout of preventive measures. “If we have the forecast for the next 72 hours, we can clearly see the contribution ratio to the pollution — for example, urban dust at night is the highest,” said Ganguly. “Perhaps, this is due to the trucks at night. The government can take measures to cut out the activities which they really can through forecasting — it’s very difficult to execute these activities due to the significant economic repercussions.”

“Wherever in the world where pollution reduction has happened in a big manner, the solution has been cleaner fuel and technology working to controlling pollution from the sources, better assessment and study of where the pollution is coming from,” said Chattopadhyay.

Chattopadhyay added that the amount of money that is being spent on outdoor air purifiers can be used to cut down the emission from the sources. “The same amount of money can be spent to buy electric buses, you can have waste collection and segregation centres. That will eliminate the source of the problems. That will give us better long term gains. Outdoor air purifiers are really futile efforts. Government is letting the pollution be released from the source. The emissions are taking place from industry, from vehicles, and multiple sources. Cutting down from the source will have a wider implication in terms of exposure too,” added Chattopadhyay.

Ganguly also suggested that the transit infrastructure, including waste collection, waste transport, and waste management infrastructure need to be improved. “In winters, a significant amount of pollution also comes from biomass that people burn for their heating requirements,” she noted. “The Delhi shelters are perhaps not able to cater to all the homeless people in Delhi. So I think it is also important how the government is planning on upgrading these existing shelters, so that at least their utilisation is better. At night, if these shelters can accommodate the homeless population, then their reliance on garbage or dry leaves for their heating requirements could be reduced.”

Chattopadhyay also added that tighter emission control norms must be in place. “Tighter emission control norms for power plants will lead to a reduction (in air pollution). The government has to put in the money into the right sources — cutting emissions from the sources and maintaining regulations. Smog towers are not a right policy decision. Such methods give a signal to the polluters that it is okay to pollute,” he said.

A bandage solution

Krishna, of ATechTron, disagreed with the researchers’ suggestions that forecasting and air quality monitoring is a better solution. He suggested that strategically placing outdoor air purifiers within a distance of two-three kilometres to each other throughout the city will surely lead to a reduction in air pollution.

Angad Daryani, founder of Praan, a deep tech startup which makes outdoor air purifiers also said that what the NCR government is doing with smog-free towers is non-scientific. When asked if outdoor air purifiers can really contribute to solving the pollution problem in India, he said that the outdoor air purifiers from Praan serve as a bandage solution to the pollution problem while we transition to cleaner energy.

I asked Ganguly if this was the case, but she remained unconvinced. “Let’s not call it a solution before we know for sure it is one,” she said. “Once the entire range of measures has been taken and if we still don’t see any significant impact, then perhaps this could be looked at as a solution. But this cannot precede all the other solutions. As a researcher, that is what I have an issue with.”


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T Corona Borealis May Erupt Soon: Rare Nova Could Be Visible to Naked Eye

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T Corona Borealis May Erupt Soon: Rare Nova Could Be Visible to Naked Eye

T Corona Borealis is a binary star system in the Northern Crown constellation which is being monitored closely by astronomers worldwide for signs of a rare stellar eruption. The system consists of a white dwarf and a red giant orbiting each other with the white dwarf pulling material from its companion. The gradual accumulation of matter on the surface of dwarf white planet can lead to a thermonuclear explosion, known as a Nova. Scientists recorded the last erupted Nova in 1946. Now, there have been some indications that we might experience another nova outburst in the near future.

The researchers have recorded a brightening event in 2015 followed by a dimming in 2023, which has mirrored the pattern seen in the last eruption. This leads the experts to believe that there might be another nova outburt. If an eruption occurs T Corona Borealis could become visible to the naked eye and shine as brightly as the most prominent stars.

Accretion Activity and Expert Predictions

According to a study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the system has exhibited behaviour similar to the years leading up to its previous eruption. T Corona Borealis is one of only eleven recurrent novae observed in recorded history with eruptions noted in 1217, 1787, 1866 and 1946. As per the latest data available with the researchers, the accretion disc surrounding the white dwarf has became highly active and bright between 2015 and 2023. The study reveals that this heightened activity could trigger an eruption within a year or two.

There are multiple predictions from the scientists based on orbital analysis suggesting possible eruption dates. As per multiple reports, the Nova outburst might take place between March 27 or November 10 this year or June 25, 2026. The researchers has also suggested a theory regarding a potential third object influencing the binary system. Astronomers like Dr Léa Planquart of Université de Strasbourg and Dr Jeremy Shears of the British Astronomical Association have dismissed this theory citing the absence of supporting evidence. Both experts believe the activity of the accretion disc remains the most likely cause of an impending eruption.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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Scientists Spot a Key Difference in Matter and Antimatter Decay

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Scientists Spot a Key Difference in Matter and Antimatter Decay

A key difference has been observed in the behaviour of matter and antimatter particles by researchers working at a particle physics laboratory. A new measurement has been carried out that recorded the decay of a specific type of matter particle and its antimatter equivalent. This development is being seen as significant because it may explain why the universe is filled with matter while antimatter is nearly absent. The discovery has been described as a step towards solving one of physics’ biggest mysteries.

New Study Reveals Baryon Decay Difference

According to the research shared by the LHCb experiment at CERN and posted on the arXiv preprint server, a difference has been recorded in how a particle called the beauty-lambda baryon and its antimatter counterpart decay. These particles belong to the proton family and are classified as baryons. The report further added that the decay was observed into a proton and three mesons based on data collected between 2009 and 2018.

The evidence suggests that the decay of the beauty-lambda baryon differs from its antimatter twin. According to sources involved in the study the likelihood of this difference being a random occurrence is less than one in three million. Tim Gershon who is a particle physicist at the University of Warwick and part of the research team told Nature that this is the first time such a difference has been spotted in baryons.

Experts Say Findings Could Aid Understanding of Matter’s Prevalence

Tara Shears who is a particle physicist at the University of Liverpool stated to Nature that the observation could offer new insight into why matter is found in abundance while antimatter is not. She said that this imbalance is one of the major unresolved questions in physics.

Yuval Grossman a theoretical physicist from Cornell University mentioned to Nature that while the current measurement does not fully explain the imbalance it helps add a crucial piece to the puzzle.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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China Loses 26 Percent of Its Glaciers Due to Global Warming, Claims New Study

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China Loses 26 Percent of Its Glaciers Due to Global Warming, Claims New Study

China has reportedly witnessed a significant decline in glacier area over the last six decades. As per a new study published online,  the country has lost nearly 26 percent of its total glacier coverage since the 1960s. The study claims that the lost of such glacier area might be due to the rapid increase in global temperatures around the globe. Official data confirmed that close to 7000 small glaciers have entirely vanished from the landscape. The shrinking of glacier masses has been observed to accelerate over the past few years as warming trends continue to intensify.

Glacier Loss Confirmed by Chinese Academy of Sciences

According to a study released by the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources under the Chinese Academy of Sciences it was recorded that China’s glacier area had reduced to nearly 46000 square kilometres by 2020. The total number of glaciers was stated to be around 69000 at that time. This marked a steep fall from an earlier figure of approximately 59000 square kilometres reported between 1960 and 1980 when glacier count stood at roughly 46000.

Impact of Glacier Retreat on Water Security and Environment

The melting of glaciers has raised concerns over freshwater availability across several regions. Environmental agencies have cautioned that the loss of glacier mass may result in higher competition for water resources in the years to come. The Tibetan Plateau which hosts a large portion of these glaciers has been referred to as the Third Pole owing to the vast ice reserves it holds.

Efforts to Slow Glacier Melting

Attempts have been made by Chinese authorities to slow the melting process through technological interventions. Artificial snow systems and snow blankets have been deployed as part of these initiatives.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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