The document discusses the severe air pollution issue in Delhi-NCR and explores various control measures. It highlights past experiences such as the effectiveness of rain and the need to ban practices like stubble burning, while proposing an innovative solution using lubricating oil instead of water to filter dust from the air. The proposed system is efficient, cost-effective, and minimizes water usage while improving air quality.

1. A Concept Note on Air Pollution Control
The air pollution in Delhi-NCR has really become a serious issue, and a threat to survival of
life of residents. A continuous thinking and exploring various approaches for the same, I
found something I must share for the betterment of our environment.
Past Experiences:
We may summarize our past experiences for air pollution control as under-
1. A rain or even a mild shower reduces air pollution significantly.
2. Artificial rain or spraying of water is a useful approach in reducing pollution levels.
3. Stoppage of stubble burning may reduce the pollution level significantly.
4. There is limited but definite reduction in pollution by following Odd-Even or similar
schemes.
5. Stoppage of industries having coal fired boilers also gives limited reduction in air
pollution, particularly in terms of PM10 and PM2.5.
6. Plantation of trees is also a good approach, and the areas with more number of trees
have shown less pollution.
As obvious, one thinks of the artificial rain as the first and most suitable option. People are
asking, “what if we install fogging showers at different places?” or “can we have millions of
dessert coolers switched ON to scrub clean the air?”
Well, we must not forget that water is also a precious resource, though this is apparently
the most efficient best approach. Another problem with water lies in that fact that the use
of water results in an increase in humidity of air, which may cause some other problems in
the long run. So, the question appears, can we use something else other than water?

2. Proposed Approach:
I think if we follow the same technology but, with the use of lubricating oil, in place of
water, that may become a better alternate. Lubricating oil typically is available for Rs.180-
200 per liter if purchased in bulk. It has low vapor pressure so the evaporation loss shall be
very little and hence the makeup requirement. It has good affinity with the dust particles,
and hence is being used by automobile companies to trap dust particles in the air filter units
of most tractors, trucks and other vehicles.
One may ask about the trapped dust particles and particulate matter in lubricating oil. Well,
the old lubricating oil may be centrifuged to separate those dust particles along with little
oil, and the remaining lubricating oil may be used again and again, adding the little makeup
quantities.
The proposed system shall use a circular fan at the top, forcing the air to downward
direction. Just below the fan, there is a thick layer of metal wool, which is being sprayed
with lubricating oil using fine jet showers. When the air passes through this, most of the
dust particles stick to the metal wool. The contaminated lubrication oil fells down to a
receiver tank located at the bottom of system when the shower is started again. The clean,
dust free air leaves from the sides of glass wool.
The system uses only the electrical energy, makeup lubricating oil and operation-
maintenance manpower cost as operating cost. Installation cost and area requirement shall
also be very less.
Concept by:
D K Singhal
deveshksinghal@gmail.com
November 02, 2019
D K
Singhal
Digitally signed by D K Singhal
DN: cn=D K Singhal
Date: 2019.11.02 07:18:43
+05'30'
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version: 2018.011.20063