New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday inspected some of the newly installed air pollution mitigation devices in parts of the city under the government's 'Innovation Challenge'.

Gupta, along with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, inspected pole-mounted dust catchers installed near the Kirti Nagar industrial area and central verge air purifiers set up at the Kirti Nagar fire station.

Last year in October, Sirsa launched the challenge for pollution reduction solutions, inviting individuals, startups, and research institutions to submit ideas aimed at reducing particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) emissions.

During the inspection, Sirsa explained that dust keeps getting collected in the device, and after about 15-20 days, the backend technology alerts authorities once the units are full. "The device can collect dust from a radius of 400 square metres," he said. Explaining to Gupta, Sirsa further pointed out that the device would be enclosed within an iron frame for protection.

The devices inspected on Saturday are among the 22 shortlisted innovations currently undergoing trials in the next phase of the government's innovation challenge to assess their effectiveness.

"Around 15-16 such pilot projects have been installed in parts of Delhi. Our aim is that if we find any such innovations and technology that can help clean Delhi's air, then we will keep working on them," Sirsa said.

'Delhi government to transform registrar offices'

The Delhi government plans to transform registrar offices into modern and citizen-centric service centres, modelled on the efficiency and time-bound service delivery seen at Passport Seva Kendras, the chief minister said on Saturday.