The Delhi government has installed a machine called Pawan III on road dividers near the Kirti Nagar Fire Station. The device is built to catch pollution right where it comes from, mainly from vehicle exhaust.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the site along with environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and local MLA Harish Khurana. The team walked the stretch from Satguru Ram Singh Marg to Kirti Nagar and Mayapuri to check how the new machines are performing on ground.
Sirsa explained that the government wants to test every technology that has a real chance of cleaning Delhi's air. He said the goal is not limited to the smog season. Delhi wants clean air through the year, not just during winter months when the problem gets worse.
What makes Pawan III different?
Pawan III is not working alone. The area also has 21 units of STR-101, a filter free air purifier mounted on poles. Each unit can clean nearly 300,000 litres of air every hour. These units pull PM2.5 particles, dust and harmful gases straight from the air.
The government has also rolled out an EV mounted anti smog gun. This is being described as the country's first anti smog gun fitted on an electric vehicle. Since it runs on electric power, it does not add fresh emissions while working. The gun sprays a fine mist that looks like light rain and settles dust on the ground. It is currently active in Kirti Nagar and Mayapuri.
A fourth device called ShuddhVayu is also under trial. This one attaches to moving vehicles and turns them into mobile air cleaners while they are on the road. It pulls PM10 and PM2.5 particles from the air as the vehicle moves.
All these devices are being tested under supervision of the National Physical Laboratory and the International Centre for Automotive Technology, giving the trials a scientific backing that past pollution gadgets in Delhi often lacked.
The Gaps in Delhi's Pollution Story
Many reports claim that Pawan III reduced air pollution by 29%, but they do not explain how this figure was measured or whether the results stay the same in different weather or traffic conditions. More public data is needed before treating the claim as proven.
Delhi has tested similar pollution-control ideas before. For example, cloud seeding in late 2025 failed due to low moisture in the air. Critics say many such projects begin with big claims, but their long-term impact is rarely made public.
Health Experts also point out that machines alone cannot solve Delhi's pollution problem. A petition in the Supreme Court argued that the real solution is to reduce emissions from vehicles, industries, and construction. Doctors have also warned that children under 12 cannot safely wear pollution masks for long periods, leaving many students exposed despite these new technologies.
Why it matters for Bharat?
Delhi continues to struggle with dangerous levels of air pollution, with children, elderly people, and outdoor workers facing the biggest health risks. If Pawan III can successfully reduce pollution on busy roads, other cities like Lucknow and Patna may also consider using the same technology.
But the biggest question is still unanswered. Will Pawan III deliver real results when Delhi's severe winter smog returns, or will it become just another pollution-control experiment that failed to live up to its promise?
