Travelling to Delhi/NCR and worried about the worsening air quality and smog? Some respite could be underway as leading hotel chains such as ITC, Taj and Hyatt, which often welcome heads of states and some of the world’s most renowned dignitaries, said they are adopting new measures and initiatives to make sure that the air their guests breathe is of top quality. Luxury chain ITC Hotels, which runs hotels like the ITC Maurya in New Delhi, said that while it has worked continuously on improving indoor air quality in its hotels, its new technology under implementation will set new benchmarks not just in India but in the global hospitality industry with third party validation and endorsements. Aseem Kapoor, general manager at Hyatt Regency, Delhi said that to address the current needs, the frequency of filter cleaning has been increased in the past two weeks to almost daily/weekly at the hotel. The otherwise regular filter cleaning schedule for Hyatt Regency Delhi is monthly for room AC filters, and 7-10 days and 15 days for restaurants and fitness centres, respectively. Four additional air purifiers have been installed in the fitness centre to avoid dust, the landscaped grounds are being watered twice a day and fresh air intake to the building is being kept down to the minimum. The indoor air quality (IAQ) enhancement technology that will meet WHO standards is first being implemented in New Delhi at the ITC Maurya, but the chain plans to roll out this initiative across all its hotels in a phased manner. A dynamic plaque will display real time  air quality, both inside and outside the hotel.The alarming levels of smog and pollution in Delhi/NCR (reaching 30 times the WHO’s safe limits) earlier in November had dented travel plans of several domestic and overseas travellers in the busiest tourist season for the Indian capital where winter has just set in. Environmental authorities had imposed severe plus category restrictions earlier this month while the doctors had declared it a public health emergency. Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris, which runs hotels like the Taj Mahal Hotel and Taj Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi, said it is also putting in additional efforts to monitor and enhance the air quality in its guest rooms. At the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, outdoor air intake is being controlled mechanically. The air is filtered through high efficiency filters before being distributed around the building. In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are being monitored and maintained at less than 1,000 ppm (parts per million), while adequate air changes per hour (ACH) 6-15 are also maintained throughout the hotel as per ASHRAE guidelines, a ventilation benchmark for acceptable indoorair quality. The hotel has also placed de-humidifiers on guest floor corridors to ensure humidity levels are maintained, and an in-house microbiologist conducts random air sample tests within the hotel. At Taj Diplomatic Enclave, all the treated fresh air and the air handling units, which condition the air in all guest rooms and public areas, are installed with dust-free filters, which weed out the suspended particles PM 2.5 and PM 10 with the efficiency of up to 70%, a spokesperson said.

(Source: The Economic Times, November 24, 2017)