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Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena Saturday asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to reconsider the ‘Red light on Gaadi off’ campaign, saying there is no proof that such “ad hoc” measures have proven to be effective against air pollution. He also said these campaigns only put civil defence volunteers at “severe health and physical risk”.
The campaign involves deploying 2,500 volunteers at around 100 intersections in the city to get people to turn off their engines at red lights in a bid to reduce vehicular emissions.
This is the latest in the tussle over the campaign between the AAP-led Delhi government and the L-G. On Thursday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the campaign was being postponed since a file was waiting for approval from the L-G, which was sent on October 21. However, the L-G house denied the allegations and said Rai lied about the launch date as the file sent to them mentioned October 31 instead of October 28. Rai then hit back, saying the L-G has been “making excuses” for not approving the file.
According to officials, the L-G pointed out the “inhuman and exploitative” use of civil defence volunteers at extremely polluted traffic intersections and sites and has highlighted that “the basic premise of the campaign which seeks to risk the health of few individuals on the assumption of protecting the health of many is faulty and does not appear to have any parallel in any other civilised metropolitan city”.
The L-G also observed that any effective and sustainable solution to this long-standing problem will involve technological interventions, and not ad hoc steps. Year after year and in the long run, technological solutions need to be found for enforcement of such measures, rather than deploying humans and putting them at risk, he pointed out, said officials.
Officials further said the L-G has also highlighted that the “outcome of the previous campaigns is not reflected in the proposal, and there is no impact assessment report provided to support the effectiveness of the earlier campaigns in improving air quality in the city. Also, the multiple risks posed to the safety and health of the volunteers proposed to be deployed at the traffic cross sections under the campaign merits serious attention”.
Officials further said the L-G has observed that “the people of Delhi who suffer the most due to air pollution are aware and alert citizens who are conscious of their duties and will undertake any measure on their own to mitigate such pollution”.
Rai said on Saturday, “L-G Sahab has resent the file, he is trying to stop the campaign somehow, but we will answer all questions he raised and submit the file again to him. He has been doing politics over several matters of Delhi government, but we hope he will approve the file that we resubmit and not do politics over the health of the public.”
On the L-G’s contention that deploying CDVs at traffic signals during the campaign will put their lives at risk, Raid said: “Traffic police always stand at traffic signals, I want to ask will L-G sahab withdraw them.”
AAP leaders and workers also held a protest outside the L-G house demanding the approval of the campaign. Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey, who was leading the protest, said, “The L-G will have to pass the file… else lakhs of people will protest against him.”
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