In response to the continuously worsening air quality in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has announced the commencement of the 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign, starting on October 26, with the aim of reducing air pollution in the city. This initiative encourages individuals to turn off their engines while waiting at red lights as a means to combat the problem.
It was also clarified that, for the time being, the odd-even vehicle rationing system is not under consideration. Under the odd-even scheme, vehicles with registration plates ending in odd numbers are allowed on the road on odd dates, and those ending in even numbers on even dates.
Minister Rai noted that the use of firecrackers is prohibited in Delhi during Dussehra and called upon the citizens of Delhi to participate in efforts to mitigate air pollution, emphasizing that the consequences of such actions impact everyone.
Rai expressed his dissatisfaction with government officials who failed to attend a pollution-related meeting. He mentioned that despite summoning the secretaries of all departments to the meeting, none of them were present. He urged the Chief Secretary to ensure that officers attend such meetings.
He also provided details of a meeting held with 28 departments to implement the Graded Response Action Plan-2 (GRAP-2) within Delhi. In addition to identifying 13 hotspots, eight other locations with an Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 300 were pinpointed. Nodal teams were instructed to be deployed at these eight sites to assess local sources of pollution.
Furthermore, Rai disclosed the government's decision to employ dust suppressant powder to counter dust pollution in the city.
Delhi's air quality recently deteriorated to "very poor" levels for the first time since May, primarily due to lower temperatures and reduced wind speed, which led to the accumulation of pollutants. The 24-hour average air quality index in the capital stood at 313 on Sunday, marking a decline from 248 on the previous day.
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