Centre committed to making Delhi pollution free, says Gadkari

Minister says that Delhi is not being polluted only due to diesel vehicles but vehicles contributes around 17-18%

 

Sharing his formula to create a pollution free environment in Delhi, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that Delhi is not being polluted only due to diesel vehicles. However, he added that vehicular pollution contributes around 17-18% to capital's polluted air.

Gadkari, in an interview with ETV said that he has already planned to make Delhi pollution free.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government has come up with an odd-even vehicle restriction scheme to help clean Delhi's air.

The second phase of Delhi's odd-even traffic scheme aimed at battling pollution ended on April 30 evening. The scheme, which started on April 15, saw fewer traffic tickets compared to the first phase but also more traffic on Delhi roads. The first phase of the 15-day trial began on January 1.

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai had earlier said the AAP Government will implement the third edition of odd-even scheme only after analysing report of its six-member committee and surveys of media organisations on the ongoing second phase of the car-rationing plan.

Under this scheme, four-wheelers with odd registration numbers ply on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates.

As the sixth-most populated metropolis in the world, Delhi is one of the most heavily polluted cities in India.

The World Health Organisation had in May 2014 announced New Delhi as the most polluted city in the world.

The city suffers from air pollution caused by road dust and industry, with comparatively smaller contributions from unclean engines in transportation.