Submit report on smog towers to SC: Rai to officials

New Delhi: Environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday directed the principal secretary of the environment and forests department to submit IIT Bombay's final report on the working of the smog tower at Connaught Place to Supreme Court to decide on its future operation.In a letter sent on Thursday, Rai stated that he had directed the official in June to submit the report on the smog tower at Baba Kharak Singh Marg to the apex court "to decide on further continuing of its operations". But "it has come to my notice that the said report has not been submitted before Supreme Court for consideration till date. In view of the above and considering that the winter season is approaching fast, the final report... be submitted... without any further delay," he wrote. The tower, installed by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), had cost Rs 20.4 crore. The court had last year summoned the head of DPCC regarding the non-functioning of the smog towers at CP and Anand Vihar. Delhi govt had earlier said the towers were set up as research and development projects to address the city's air quality woes.The minister said the CP tower was installed on the directions of Supreme Court as a two-year pilot study, with DPCC as the nodal agency for coordination and supervision. He pointed out that IITs at Mumbai and Delhi were supposed to analyse its performance efficiency.