The tender that received the most votes (428) for the 2019 budget aims to improve air quality in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca. This probably means that the smog in the city annoys a lot of people, which is no wonder. There are even areas where you can’t open your windows during the day because, instead of fresh air, only exhaust from cars streams in.
Trees may be the only solution to ease this problem. But the winning project under the above-mentioned tender is not just about the mere planting of trees; there is also an aesthetic aspect, including green hammocks and living fences. All of these can help reduce air pollution as well as make the city’s streets and squares look fabulous. But the best part of this project is the concept of the smart tree.
How do smart trees function? In principle, they will measure air and noise pollution and be linked to the 5G network for data to be monitored; they will also be equipped with special ventilators to suck in dust and smog.
The plan is for the city hall of Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca to buy a couple of these trees, worth RON 1 million RON. The rectangle-shaped equipment, which, in fact, do not resemble trees at all, would be covered in moss to provide oxygen into the air, and placed with their own irrigation system (for the moss) in crowded spaces where normal trees cannot be planted.
Let’s hope the expense is worth it.
There is yet another civil initiative that aims to monitor the level of air pollution. It is looking to raise EUR 19,000 to buy 20 modern air-quality monitoring sensors, which can also measure the level of particles (pollution) floating in the air. The data from these sensors, placed at different spots in the city, would be displayed in real time on a website accessible to anyone so that locals could be informed of the actual quality of the air.
Featured photo: Foter.ro
