Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest and Climate change, Dr  Harsh Vardhan inaugurated air pollution control device WAYU(Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit) for traffic junctions at the ITO intersection and at Mukarba Chowk in Delhi today. WAYU is developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) as a part of technology development project being funded by Department of Science and Technology.

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the prototype device that has been indigenously developed has the capacity to purify air in an area of 500 square meter. Dr Vardhan further added that the device consumes only half a unit of electricity for 10 hours of running and has a maintenance cost of only Rs 1,500 per month. “We are in the process of developing a bigger version of WAYU which can purify air in an area of 10,000 square meter. The designs of future WAYU devices will have even better aesthetics and can be deployed in bus shelters and more,” said Dr Vardhan. The ministry plans to install 54 more WAYU devices at various traffic intersections across Delhi by 15th October.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurating the air pollution control device (WAYU) in Delhi

The device works on two principles, mainly, wind generation for dilution of air pollutants and active pollutants removal. The device has filters for particulate matter removal and activated carbon (charcoal) and UV lamps for removing poisonous gases such as VOCs and carbon monoxide. The device has one fan and filter for sucking and removing particulate matter. There are two UV lamps and half kg of activated carbon charcoal coated with special chemical titanium dioxide.