‘Red light on, gaadi off’ campaign launched

The AAP government on Monday launched the ‘Red light on, gaadi off’ campaign, aimed at reducing vehicular emissions. The campaign was inaugurated by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai at the ITO intersection.

Rai said, “We are asking all Delhiites to turn off their vehicle engines while waiting at red lights. This small action can significantly reduce emissions and help combat the pollution we are suffering from.”

He said biomass burning, dust and vehicle emissions remain the primary sources of pollution in Delhi. “While Punjab has reduced stubble burning, Haryana and UP have not taken adequate action, and incidents continue there, forcing Delhiites to suffer,” Rai stated.

The Delhi Government, he said, was focused on implementing solutions to reduce pollution levels. The government has set up a green war room, launched an anti-dust campaign to control dust pollution and is spraying bio-decomposer over 5,000 acres of land to tackle stubble burning within Delhi.

Now, the “Red light on, gaadi off” campaign is being introduced as a key measure to address vehicular emissions, he added.

“We have to endure not only the pollution within the city but also pollution coming from outside, effectively doubling the city’s pollution levels,” Rai further said.

“In Delhi, we are running the CNG and electric buses to reduce vehicular pollution, while on the other hand, thousands of diesel buses coming from Uttar Pradesh are spreading pollution in Anand Vihar.”

He urged the Uttar Pradesh Government to take steps to control pollution.

Rai highlighted that the “Red light on, gaadi off” initiative could lead to a behavioural change in drivers. “It has been observed that when someone drives in Delhi, they stop at around eight to 10 red lights before reaching their destination. If they wait at an intersection for two minutes without switching off their vehicle, they waste 25 to 30 minutes’ worth of fuel unnecessarily. This mindset needs to change.”