Pollution season: Delhi govt launches campaign, vehicles to shut at traffic lights

New Delhi, Oct 22: As the winter is about to start, Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has started breathing polluted air again. With the threat of worse days ahead, Delhi government has launched a campaign in the Capital and asked the drivers to shut the vehicles at the traffic signals while waiting.

The campaign 'Red Light on Gaadi off' was launched by Delhi environment minister Gopla rai on Friday.

The campaign means that the drivers would switch off their vehicles as they wait at the signal for the traffic light to turn green. So, the vehicles can emit less pollution. The campaign would start on October 28 and and it will be effective till November 28.

During the month-long campaign, the civil defence volunteers would be deployed at 100 major traffic intersections to make the drivers aware of the campaign.

The air quality was recorded poor in the national capital with index of 262 on Saturday morning. Parts of Delhi were reportedly engulfed by the smog.

Delhi is dreading worse days ahead. While many blame firecrackers burst during Diwali to be behind the worsened air quality every year, there are in reality many factors that make this crisis worse for Delhi. Other factors such as vehicular emission, firecracker bursting, stubble burning in neighbouring states, burning of garbage and illegal industrial activities, are some of the reasons that add to the pollution levels.

Starting from October every year, Delhi's air quality starts dipping to poor category and even drops to 'severe at multiple occasions.

It is to be noted that an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

The fist time the campaign was launched in the national capital on October 16, 2020.