The Department of Environment under directions Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has issued a directive under relevant section of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 making the installation and operation of anti-smog guns on specified high-rise buildings across the city mandatory, an initiative taken to counter air pollution in the city.

This is the first time that the city government is taking such a step on vertical infrastructure as part of its air pollution response which makes Delhi the first Indian city to embed rooftop anti-smog infrastructure into urban policy through a formal legal mechanism.

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According to the city’s Environment Department, the directive applies to all commercial complexes, malls, and hotels with a built-up area greater than 3,000 square metres, as well as all institutional and office buildings that are ground plus five floors (G+5) or higher.

The directive mandates the buildings to install anti-smog guns within six months and operate them throughout the year, except during the monsoon period from June 15 to October 1.

Each building must deploy a minimum number of guns in proportion to its built-up area—starting from three guns for areas below 10,000 square metres, and then accordingly scaling up the number as per guidelines. Each smog gun should be capable of a horizontal mist throw of 75 to 100 metres and produce droplets between 5 to 20 microns in size to effectively target airborne particulate matter like PM2.5 and PM10.

Overall, the operation must not exceed 1,200 litres per hour or 10,000 litres over an eight-hour day.

The smog guns are to be operated intermittently during peak pollution hours, that is from 6:30 am to 9:30 am, then 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, and after that 1:30 am to 4:30 am—in short bursts to maximize effectiveness and conserve electricity and water.

As per the government guidelines, the equipment should have minimal sound output from blowers and, where feasible, include integrated air quality monitoring sensors.

Buildings with 7 and 10 storeys are considered optimal for generating effective ground-level mist dispersion.

Residential buildings, group housing societies, and individual residential buildings are exempt from this mandate, an official statement said.

This step is emphasized by the alarming deterioration in air quality observed during the October to January winter months.

The department says that the city endured prolonged periods of “Very Poor” to “Severe” air quality, significantly underscoring the urgent need for effective environmental interventions.

According to Sirsa, for years, this aspect of pollution control was either advisory or seasonal, and what the government has now done is something historic.

He said it is for the first time that Delhi has acted with legal clarity to curb a long-ignored pollution source, and added that this is something which is ‘accountability in action.’

The minister further said, “This government will no longer tolerate half-measures. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the able guidance of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, we are ensuring that pollution control becomes embedded in urban infrastructure—not just in paper policies,” Sirsa added.

Implementation and enforcement responsibilities in this regard have been assigned to the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, the Delhi Development Authority, the Public Works Department, the Central Public Works Department, NBCC, DSIIDC, DUSIB, and other construction-approving or land-owning agencies.