As the onset of winter thickens Gurugram’s air with dust and smog, several housing societies and condominiums across the city have begun taking independent measures to fight rising pollution levels. From installing anti-smog guns to setting up terrace-based water-sprinkling systems, residents are attempting to create a rain-like effect that helps settle particulate matter and improve local air quality.
Environmentalists say that while these community-driven efforts show initiative, their impact remains limited and temporary. “Sprinkling of water can at best have a localised limited impact when the entire airshed is highly polluted,” said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. She added that using drones could make such operations more effective by covering a wider area, and stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy Leaf Area Index (LAI) the total area of leaves per unit of ground area to naturally absorb pollutants.
At Rising Homes Society in Sector 92, residents have been using treated water from their sewage treatment plant (STP) to sprinkle from a height of about 20 feet during night and early morning hours. “This initiative not only helps reduce dust and air pollution around the society but also cleans the leaves of plants, allowing them to grow better,” said Praveen Malik, president of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA). “We have been following this practice for nearly three years now. Recently, we also installed anti-smog guns, and the difference is quite visible. The AQI drops by around 50 to 60 points, according to our private air quality monitors,” he added.
However, not everyone is convinced that using treated water is safe. Environmentalist NB Nair, a retired scientist from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, cautioned against the practice, saying, “Under no condition should STP water be used for aerial spray. Even when STP water droplets dry off, the particulate matter containing pathogens will remain floating in the breathing zone for a very long time.”
Residents of other societies, including Vipul Greens, have also turned to anti-smog guns to combat worsening air quality. “This smog blanket is making everyone sick, and children and senior citizens are at the highest risk,” said Amit Jindal, RWA president. “We are using them for the first time. Earlier, we used to sprinkle water from the terrace, which did help, but the anti-smog guns are more effective in reducing toxic pollutant levels.”
Meanwhile, residents of Sectors 46, 48, 92, and areas near Dwarka Expressway said they have not observed any water-sprinkling activity from Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) trucks in their neighbourhoods. Responding to the complaints MCG executive engineer Sandeep Dhundhwal said that 26 water trucks are currently deployed across the city with priority given to heavily trafficked stretches such as Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Golf Course Road. “MCG along with HSPCB has narrowed down some designated areas or red zones, and we are prioritising these areas first,” he said.
Dhundhwal also confirmed that ten truck-mounted anti-smog guns have been ordered and are expected to arrive by the end of November, though procurement delays have occurred due to pending approvals.
Despite growing pollution concerns Gurugram air quality showed slight improvement this week. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 132 (“moderate”) at 4 pm on Monday, a significant improvement from Sunday’s “poor” AQI of 236. This marks the first day in four that Gurugram’s air quality has improved.
So far in October, the city has recorded five “satisfactory” air quality days, with the cleanest on October 7 (AQI 58). However, pollution levels spiked to “extremely poor” (AQI 370) on October 21 the day after Diwali highlighting how quickly the city’s air can swing from clear to toxic as winter pollution season deepens.