Delhi: Env minister asks officials to prepare report for implementing anti-air pollution campaign

Rai chaired a meeting with the additional chief secretary, senior officials of the departments of environment and transport, Delhi traffic police and divisional commissioner and directed them to expedite preparations for implementation of the campaign. “Departments concerned have been asked to expedite preparations and submit a ground report by Monday in this regard,” the minister tweeted in Hindi.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday directed concerned departments to prepare a ground report for the implementation of the 'Red light on, gaadi off' campaign to curb vehicular pollution. Rai chaired a meeting with the additional chief secretary, senior officials of the departments of environment and transport, Delhi traffic police, and divisional commissioner and directed them to expedite preparations for the implementation of the campaign.

"Departments concerned have been asked to expedite preparations and submit a ground report by Monday in this regard," the minister tweeted in Hindi. Officials said that the Delhi traffic police have been asked to identify areas that witness long traffic snarls. Civil defense volunteers will be deployed at traffic lights to create awareness among people. Their number will be maximum in areas reporting frequent traffic congestions, they said. The volunteers will adopt the 'gandhigiri' approach in their efforts to create awareness and offer roses to commuters found keeping the engines of the vehicles on at red lights, the officials said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Thursday launched the campaign under which people will be encouraged to switch the engines of their vehicles off while waiting at traffic signals. Rai said Delhi will be able to reduce vehicular pollution by 15-20 percent if people switch off their vehicles at red lights.