Turning China's smog into diamonds! Delhi needs a lesson or two from Beijing

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
Beijing pollution free
Beijing pollution free

Los angeles : At a time, when India’s national capital Delhi is tackling the biggest monster of all time- air pollution, world’s most polluted city of China, Beijing has come up with an A grade plan to confront the crisis.

The plot has been planned by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde, who has come up with an innovative plan to tackle Beijing’s air pollution problem. In the process, he is determined to turn a health hazard into a thing of beauty.

The plan has already been piloted in Rotterdam and the Smog Free Project is now coming to China.

At the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, Roosegaarde said, “It started with a dream. The dream of clean air for everyone. The idea for the project came to me while I was looking out of a Beijing hotel window. On Saturday, I could see the world around me, the cars, the trees, the people. But on Wednesday it was completely covered in smog, with pollution, and that image made me a little bit sad.”

He added that it is time we create environments where children can play outside and where the air around us is a health hazard to none.

Explaining the process, he said that the project consists of majorly two parts:

  • First, a 7m tall tower sucks up polluted air, and cleans it at a nano-level. Towers suck up polluted air, clean it, releasing it back into parks and playgrounds. Ultimately, these pollution free areas are 70-75% cleaner than the rest of the city.
  • Second, the carbon from smog particles is turned into diamonds. 32% of Beijing’s smog is carbon, which under 30 minutes of pressure can be turned into diamonds. The money raised by jewellery made with these diamonds will go towards supporting the development and building more Smog Free towers.

Well, what an idea sirji? Delhi can also take a lesson or two from this concept and plan for pollution free areas.

Currently Delhi is fighting pollution created from the aftermath of Diwali and Haryana’s burning smoke which happens once a year when the farmers burn their entire leftover stock to give way to new crops.