New Delhi : Eminent innovator and anti-air pollution crusader Mirza Arif declared on Thursday that his flagship innovation POLRED, the first device in the world to capture ultra-fine particulate matters such as PM1 and PM2.5-1, has been granted patent by over 50 countries in addition to India. Since being granted its first international patent by South Africa in 2019, the revolutionary device has been granted patent across countries such as USA, China, Singapore, South Korea and as many as 38 European nations. Besides capturing ultra-fine particulates, POLRED is also the first anti-air pollution device that captures all major gaseous pollutants like CO, CO2, SO2 and NO2.
The working model of the made-in-India device was developed in 2015, following a three-decade-long research in air pollution causes, gases adding to air pollution and the solution in the form of multi-purpose air pollution and heat reducing device.
Referring to the research, the innovator who has won prestigious awards like the 2004 National Meritorious Invention Award by the Ministry of Science and Technology, said, “The major causes of air pollution include diesel engines such as locomotives, Marines and DG sets, all chimneys from domestic kitchen to coal power plants, environmental air like soil, ash and dust, polymer particles and metal particles produced by vehicle tyres and brake shoes, and ambient indoor air particles.”
He added that not just CO2, but other gases like SO2, NO2 and CO – emanating from solid as well as liquid fuels – combined with aforementioned particulates worsen the quality of air. “All authorities, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee, among others, have been apprised in detail about the findings and the device, however, we are yet to get the nod for ground testing of POLRED, which has been tested and certified to reduce air pollution to a significant level.”
Notably, the device has been successfully laboratory tested with significant efficiency by the National Physical Laboratory, while it has received accolades from eminent scientists such as Prof. Gufran Beig Founder Project Director, “SAFAR”, Dr SWA Naqvi, who retired as the Director of CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography, and Dr Ravindra R Abhyankar, ex-advisor to the Ministry of Science and Technology and Dr.(prof.) M.Wali, former physician to the president of India.
In the wake of reports that India may soon modify the 12-year-old National Ambient Air Quality Standard, factoring in ultra-fine particulate matter of less than PM2.5, Mr Mirza has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to declare POLRED a part of the Make in India and National Clean Air Programme initiative.