‘Red light on, gaadi off' initiative to begin from Oct 18: Arvind Kejriwal

In a virtual press briefing, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader noted that the pollution in the city has started "increasing over the last three to four days" due to the stubble burning in the nearby states.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that the 'Red light on, gaadi off' initiative will begin in the Capital from October 18 as he asked commuters to practice this on their own right away in another attempt at reducing air pollution levels, which spike in the winter months. The campaign was first launched last year to save fuel and reduce air pollution in the city and was part of the number of measures by the Delhi government to tackle the annual pollution, which begins with an onset of winters in the city. The air quality further plunges into hazardous levels with festivals like Diwali and Dussehra due to the burning of firecrackers.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kerjiwal. (HT Photo)

In a virtual press briefing, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader noted that the pollution in the city has started "increasing over the last three to four days" due to the stubble burning in the nearby states. "We had started the 'Red Light on, Gaadi off' initiative last year... As soon as you stop at a red signal, turn down the engines of your vehicle," Kejriwal said.

The chief minister also asked commuters to "not take out their vehicle at least once a week" and suggested to travel via Metro, bus, or share a vehicle with others" instead. This way, "pollution can be brought down and fuel can be saved," Kejriwal also said quoting experts. He also asked the city’s residents to download the 'Green Delhi' app, which enables people to register complaints about violations of anti-pollution norms. "If you see pollution anywhere in Delhi—a truck causing air pollution, any industry that's causing pollution, waste being burnt—you can complain through the app. Our team will reach the spot and stop the source of pollution," Kejriwal said.

The app was launched in 2020 to combat air pollution.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has imposed a complete ban on the burning of firecrackers. The government-led by the AAP has also prohibited effigy burning ahead of the Dussehra festival on October 15.