NEW DELHI, Nov 8: India's capital unveiled plans Friday to fly special drones to clear pollution from its smog-choked skies -- a plan derided by experts as another "band-aid" solution to a public health crisis.
New Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter.
The smog is blamed for thousands of premature deaths each year and is an annual source of misery for the capital's residents, with various piecemeal government initiatives failing to measurably address the problem.
Friday marked the start of a trial for an aerial drone tasked with flying around the city's pollution hotspots to spray water mist in an effort to clear dust and harmful particulate matter from the air.
"We have been examining different technological solutions and best practices from across the world," Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said after launching the initiative.
"This one drone is part of a pilot project by a company. We will study, and if it succeeds, we will take this forward."
Rai said that once the trial was over, the Delhi government would issue a tender to purchase two more drones. —AFP
