Solution to air pollution is green plants

Even as the citizens of Delhi struggle to find a concrete and a cost-effective solution to protect themselves from breathing the polluted air, a green solution can surely provide a relief to the woes of the citizens.

Three plants namely the areca palm, money plant and snake plant have been identified as natural air cleaners and can be effective in reducing the impact of indoor air pollution. These plants have been used extensively at the Paharpur Business Centre which has been rated by the Government of India as the healthiest building in Delhi and been certified LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum and a BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) 5 star rating.

At a time when air purifiers are still beyond the reach of many and are priced at a range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000, usage of these plants can certainly prove to be beneficial. Barun Aggarwal of Breath Easy, a department of the Paharpur Business Centre, in explaining the benefits of these plants stated: “The snake plant according to NASA absorbs toxins such as Nitrogen Oxide and Formaldehydes and releases oxygen at night. The areca palm converts carbon dioxide into oxygen at night, instead of the other way around while the Money plant removes certain pollutants from the air.”When asked about the prices of these plants, Aggarwal mentioned that they cost around Rs 700 per plant and are easily available.

An experiment which was applied initially by Paharpur Business Centre’s CEO Kamal Meattle for personal use due to the choking effect led to planting of around 1,200 saplings at an office area of 50,000 square feet which proved to be effective. Considering indoor pollution to be as dangerous as outdoor pollution, Delhiites should stop worrying about the present situation and try out the green way.