New Delhi, Jan 7 : The 'Smog Tower' in the national capital near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara inaugurated in 2021 to combat air pollution has become non-operational again as employees locked up the facility over non-payment of their salaries. The tower, installed at a cost of over Rs 20 crore, faced its first shutdown in April 2023. However, following a Supreme Court order in November 2023, operations were resumed. The resumption in operation, however, turned out to be short-spanned, as things came to a standstill again. According to a source, Vibgyor Consulting, the firm entrusted with the tower's operations, is now under scrutiny as employees claimed that they have not received their salaries for the past month (December). The lack of a written assurance of job security from the government adds to the growing concerns among the workforce. Standing at 24 metres, the smog tower boasted the capacity to purify 1,000 cubic metres of air per second within a one-km radius. Equipped with 40 fans and 5,000 air filters, the tower is designed to absorb polluted air and release purified air, making it a vital component in the battle against Delhi's poor air quality. /IANS