NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said the government has resubmitted a file seeking Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s approval for the “Red Light on Gaadi off” campaign with evidence that such drives have reduced vehicular pollution in cities in India, the US and the UK.
However, sources in the L-G’s office said they have “not received the file for consideration till now”. Rai also said Punjab would have seen a large reduction in stubble burning if the Centre supported the state government’s plan to provide cash incentive to farmers for not burning crop residue.
Addressing a press conference, Rai said the L-G had put the campaign on hold and returned the file on October 29 questioning the effectiveness of such measures. “We have answered all queries raised by the L-G and resubmitted the file for his approval. Delhi is heading towards an emergency situation. We request the L-G to give permission (to launch the campaign) as soon as possible,” Rai said.
Under the campaign, first launched on October 16, 2020, to cut down vehicular pollution in the national capital, drivers are encouraged to switch off their vehicles while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
The minister said a study by the Central Road Research Institute in 2019 showed that keeping the engine on at traffic signals can increase pollution levels by over nine per cent.
Another study by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association under the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at the Bhikaji Cama Place traffic intersection showed that over 62 per cent people started switching off their vehicles after a similar campaign.
Before the campaign, only 20 per cent of commuters switched off their vehicles at traffic intersections voluntarily, he said. “We had considered these studies before launching the campaign in 2020,” Rai said.
HDFC Bank ran such drives at 126 traffic intersections in 40 cities across India on June 5, 2022, he said. “We also found that similar campaigns were conducted in London, the UK, and North Carolina, the US,” said the minister.