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“MUMBAI: Concentration of pollutants at five junctions in the city is expected to reduce by 40 to 60% as Wind Augmentation and purifYing Unit (WAYU), air purifying units have been installed there. Developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the unit has been installed at Sion, Kalanagar junction, Ghatkopar, Bhandup and is under installation near the BMC’s headquarters.

IIT – Bombay, NEERI, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board have come together to create WAYU to improve the air quality at urban intersections and integrate it in a way that it can work with solar power as well. The locations were selected after a pilot study conducted by NEERI to assess air quality at 33 heavily congested traffic junctions in Mumbai. The junctions were selected on the basis of factors such as sensitivity of location, vehicular congestion, pedestrian movement, individual exposure, urban tunnelling and feasibility of placing the equipment.

WAYU uses low speed wind generators, appropriate size filters with reasonable efficiency along with thermal oxidizer for removal of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. While the units were being tested for a month at the junctions, the one at Kalanagar was inaugurated by Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday. “We wanted to make sure that the is giving the desired results outside the labs too so it was tested at traffic junctions. We found to be reducing pollutant concentrations by 40-60%. Low cost air quality sensors have been used to assess the efficiency. We will record pollution levels every month to understand how well the devices are working,” said Rakesh Kumar, Director, NEERI.

P Anbalagan, member secretary, MPCB said they would consider extending the installation of WAYU at other places in the city after results are quantified.” The Times of India. Read it on delhiair.org.

Mumbai gets outdoor air purifying devices