Delhi has performed much better than Gurgaon on its first ‘Car Free Day’. As per a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the national capital observed a drop of 60% in air pollution and toxic exposure levels on Thursday. Recently, Gurgaon achieved a reduction of 16% in air pollution on its car-free day.
The national holiday of Dussehra also helped Delhi in achieving such impressive figures in pollution control. Low level of traffic combined with the car-free initiative allowed Delhi-NCR to bring down pollution levels significantly.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has also supported CSE’s report and has recorded a drop of 45 percent in PM2.5 levels in the city. PM2.5 or particulate matter 2.5 is an air pollutant which reduces visibility and causes health problems.
Chief Minister Arvin Kejriwal encouraged Delhiites to pitch in on the city’s first car free day. Kejriwal led a bicycle rally on Thursday morning and tweeted that traffic in the city needs to be reduced as it was the main culprit behind air pollution.
Delhi CM also stressed on the need for a reliable, accessible, affordable, and comfortable public transport system. Delhi has been struggling with air pollution for long now. Recently, the national capital was adjudged as the most polluted city in the world, surpassing China’s capital Beijing. Another report suggests that air pollution in Delhi is likely to claim 30,000 lives by 2025.
Delhi’s global image has also taken a hit as international media portals have written about the city’s growing pollution problem. Over the past few days, hazy conditions all over the city have sounded an alarm for asthma patients. Car-free days are a good way of controlling air pollution. But will the urban populace give up their car keys on more than a few occasions to ensure a livable Delhi for us? All that remains to be seen as NCR prepares to take down air pollution.
(Featured Image Credit: trib.com)
