Mumbai: Now, breathe easy in 240 BEST buses

Minister Deepak Kesarkar launching the 100 BEST buses on Wednesday

At least 240 of the 300 planned BEST buses with Hepa filters are now out on the street, with 100 of them launched on Wednesday. With the rising AQI, the BEST undertaking had planned to induct 300 such buses. The filters cut down the concentration of particulate matter.

On Wednesday, Mumbai's Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar launched 100 buses mounted with air purification systems in BEST buses. These buses will be plying through congested areas in Marol (Andheri), Kurla, Bandra, Anik/Wadala, Colaba depot among other areas. The first one to get such a filter was a bus at Anik Depot last year.

The project is a joint venture of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the BMC. These High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters will be able to clean up to 15,000 cubic metres of air per hour and will be able to capture 12-15 grams of suspended particulate matter.

These filters will operate on velocity and will not require any additional power. The cost of each filter is around R50,000 but they are being procured under Corporate Social Responsibility. Sixty more buses will have air purifiers in a month.

BMC officials said other air pollution mitigation measures include the installation of air filters in civic gardens, setting up virtual filtration chimneys at a few locations with high traffic congestion, and erecting Vayu streetlights with (mild UV lamps) at 50 locations for air purification.