Delhi L-G asks AAP Govt to reconsider 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign, sends back file

The month-long 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign aims at encouraging drivers to turn off the ignition of their vehicles while waiting at traffic signals

Delhi Lieutenant V.K. Saxena has asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to reconsider the 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign, questioning the effectiveness of such an "ad-hoc" measure as the national capital reels under high air pollution level, sources said on October 29.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi had earlier attacked the L-G, alleging that delay in approving the proposal had forced it to postpone the October 28 launch of the campaign. But sources in the L-G office claimed that city Environment Minister Gopal Rai had lied as the file sent by the Chief Minister mentioned the date of launch as October 31.

The month-long 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign aims at encouraging drivers to turn off the ignition of their vehicles while waiting at traffic signals.

"The L-G has sent the file to Chief Minister Kejriwal with the advice to reconsider the proposal," a source said.

The L-G objected to the "inhuman" and "exploitative use" of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) at extremely polluted traffic intersections and sites, a source said.

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 office sources said.

“Moreover, any effective and sustainable solution to this longstanding problem will involve technological interventions and not ad hoc steps, year after year.