JNU sets up panel to check pollution, accidents on campus

Jawaharlal Nehru University has set up a committee to implement policies which will help check rising pollution and regulate traffic on the campus.
The decision to set up 'Traffic Planning Committee' was taken by the administration recently and was informed to JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA), which had raised demands to implement policies that would reduce pollution, on November 4 in a meeting with Vice Chancellor S K Sopory.
It was stated that the committee, which will include faculty members suggested by JNUTA, would be notified immediately and a meeting would be called soon to begin work.
"The committee to rationalise and regulate traffic on JNU campus so that accidents and inconvenience to all are minimised will start functioning immediately," JNUTA President Arun Kumar said.

In 2009, a committee in the university had presented a report underlining an increase in traffic and pollution on campus and had listed a hundred recommendations including bicycle paths, banks to rent bicycles for free and battery- operated vehicles to reduce pollution on campus, he said.
"Currently, there is public transport in the university but it is inadequate which is why students feel the need to have motorbikes."

"Many bus stands are at turning points which makes it difficult for blind students to commute. To make campus more disabled-friendly, proper parking spaces also need to be set up," Kumar said.

The committee will also check the rising number of accidents on campus.
In April this year, three MA students of the university were killed when their motorcycle hit a divider and then rammed in a tree on the campus.
According to the varsity's security department, the number of vehicles has increased leading to more traffic and pollution.
Previously, the JNUTA had tried to raise traffic and pollution issue in the academic council. However, they claim that the response of the administration was lukewarm until now, when they have agreed to act upon the issue.
The administration has also agreed to a series of recommendations by JNUTA presented in their 'Charter of Demands', including action on plagiarism, administrative reforms to decentralise, among others.