Delhi unveils new weapon against pollution, tests 'anti-smog gun' in Anand Vihar

Will Delhi breathe easy again? The answer lies in the success of the trial of anti-smog gun, the brand new weapon against pollution, which was tested by the officials in Anand Vihar on Wednesday.

The tests of the 'fog gun' dubbed as anti-smog gun at the Anand Vihar ISBT would determine the future of Delhi's lungs.

While the authorities hope it will clear the skies above New Delhi but the environmentalists say the anti-smog gun amounts to a band-aid solution.

The cannon consists of a cylindrical drum with a tank to store water and a high-velocity exhaust fan. The gun, when 'fired', sprays atomised water into the air and reduces pollution.

Earlier in November, the National Capital was engulfed in toxic smog for more than a week. In fact, the air quality was so worse that in some areas, the authorities reported an Air Quality Index of 999, which was way above the upper limit of the worst category, Hazardous. Even on Wednesday, when the trial took place, Delhi's pollution level was in the severe zone with an AQI of 413.

On November 7, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and said that 'Delhi has become a gas chamber.'

“I´m used to living in paradise and suddenly India has become a threat to my health and the health of my friends and colleagues,” Costa Rica’s ambassador to India, Mariela Cruz Alvarez had written in her viral blog.