Delhi Government launches ‘Red Light On-Gaadi Off’ Campaign

India

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Environment Minister Gopal Rai launched the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign from ITO intersection to reduce vehicular pollution, on Thursday. On this occasion, the Environment Minister mentioned that CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced a 15-point winter action plan to deal with pollution in winter, on which the government is working. The pollution that increases in Delhi is due to pollution caused by biomass burning, dust, and vehicular pollution. In view of this, the ‘Red Light on Gaadi Off’ campaign has been initiated.

Gopal Rai stated, “The Delhi government has started a green war room against pollution. Along with this, an anti-dust campaign has been run, in which action is being taken to prevent pollution caused by dust. Apart from this, bio-de-composers are being sprayed in 5000 acres to prevent stubble burning. Now the ‘Red Light on Gaadi Off’ campaign is being initiated from today.”

The Environment Minister continued, “A pertinent question comes across very often: what is the benefit of switching off engines at red light? A survey of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association states that vehicle pollution can be reduced by 15-20% if all the engines are switched off at red light. Consider this real-life situation. When someone steps out of their house with a vehicle, they cross 8-10 crossings during their journey. If the duration of the red light is 2 minutes and we do not switch off our engine, we are burning fuel unnecessarily for 25-30 minutes. It is only our mindset that when the red light turns green and if our engine is not on, other vehicles will overtake us.”

The Minister further added that the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign will be run at Barakhamba on October 28 and Chandgi Ram Akhara intersection on October 30. On November 2, the campaign will be run in all 70 assembly constituencies. He informed that on November 3, an awareness campaign regarding the same, will be conducted among children in schools through 2000 Eco Clubs.

The Environment Minister stated, “When the Delhi Government conceptualized the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign for the first time in 2020, it was done on the basis of several studies conducted across India. In 2019, scientists of the CSIR and Central Road Research Institute, which come under the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, conducted a study on Petroleum Conservation. As per that study, if the vehicle engine is not shut on a red light at a particular four-way, there is an increase of pollution level by 9% on that four-way.

Gopal Rai appealed, “Requesting Delhiites to become a part of this entire campaign along with Paryavaran Mitra, RWAs and Eco-Club of Delhi. You can make your valuable contribution by avoiding unnecessary burning of fuel.”

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