POLLUTION level up, the tree looks listless and its leaves appear withered. When the level’s normal, the tree appears green. This BaromeTree, students and faculty at National Institute of Design (NID) believe, will increase people’s awareness aout air pollution and ultimately result in lower pollution levels.
The BaromeTree — made of iron, rope and 700 green paper leaves — has been set up in a glass chamber in the campus. Both students as well as faculty have been working on this project for over four weeks. At present, the ‘‘tree’’ uses electricity to ‘‘react to the environment and changes in pollution levels,’’ says a student.
‘‘The 700 paper leaves retract and curl when the pollution level is high, the barks look dull and the tree appears dry,’’ says Neena Sabnani, senior faculty at NID.
Currently, the institute uses a smoke gun to raise the pollution level in the glass chamber and exhaust fans to clear the air immediately.
‘‘It attracts attention. The dry lifeless tree makes us realise what kind of air we are inhaling. If such trees are set up on crossroads, people will surely think about the pollution level and how it can be controlled,’’ Sabnani said.
The institute is also experimenting on the idea of using solar energy to show the changes — this can be used if the BaromeTree is to be installed at public places.
‘‘The figures and daily pollution reports screened by various news channels have failed to create an impact among the masses. The percentage, the levels and the graphs seem to be boring,’’ says a team of students, which has been working for over four weeks to set up the tree. ‘‘The BaromeTree gives no figures but the leaves do convey the message,’’ they add.
Akhil Succena, a Communication Design faculty member, says: ‘‘No one from the State Government has approached us but we are keen to instal a BaromeTree in the most congested and polluted area of the city. We are sure that the tree’s ‘reaction’ to pollution level will lead to a change in people’s attitude towards pollution.’’