Bhubaneswar: With air pollution levels rising to alarming levels, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has deployed anti-smog guns at key locations in the city to curb dust and particulate pollution after the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 300 mark, placing the city in the “very poor” category.
The mist cannons have been installed at the Lingaraj Bus Stand and Baramunda Inter-State Bus Terminal, two of Bhubaneswar’s busiest transport hubs that experience heavy vehicular movement and high dust emissions.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), PM2.5 concentrations in the city touched 304 µg/m³, while the Lingaraj Temple area recorded peaks of 335 µg/m³. Officials confirmed that pollution levels have remained above the 300 AQI mark for several consecutive days, raising public health concerns.
The anti-smog guns function by spraying fine water droplets that bind with airborne particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10, causing them to settle and temporarily improving air quality in affected zones. Civic authorities described the measure as an emergency intervention to address worsening winter pollution, which tends to trap pollutants closer to the ground due to low wind speeds.
In addition to deploying mist cannons, the BMC has announced strict enforcement measures, including spot fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 for open burning of waste, dust-emitting construction activities without adequate safeguards, and commercial establishments violating pollution norms.
Officials said inspections have been intensified across the city, particularly in construction-heavy areas and transport corridors, to prevent activities that contribute to particulate pollution.
Environmental experts, however, caution that while anti-smog guns may provide short-term relief, they do not offer a permanent solution to urban air pollution. They stress the need for long-term measures such as expanding green cover, regulating vehicular emissions, promoting public transport, and enforcing sustainable urban planning.
With winter conditions worsening air quality across many Indian cities, Bhubaneswar’s pollution challenge underscores the growing need for comprehensive and sustained environmental interventions beyond temporary technological fixes.
-OdishaAge
