Abstract:

With the ongoing un-lockdown, there has been a rising concern about air pollution in Delhi, and north India in general. Looking at the trends, winter months have led to serious distress and health emergency in the region. It has been found that exposure to air pollution could also increase vulnerability and have detrimental effects on the prognosis of patients affected by COVID-19. A study by Harvard University highlights that a trivial upsurge in long-term exposure to PM 2.5 leads to a huge increase in the COVID-19 death rate.

Greater emphasis on clean transport is being given by the Government of India under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019. The action plan for 122 non-attainment cities, which violates the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, includes augmentation of public transport systems, vehicle fleet modernisation, cleaning of roads, and a greater focus on cleaner fuels, especially electric vehicle (EV) technology. The Delhi Government, with its landmark EV Policy, is working towards reducing the impact of air pollution from the transport sector in the state. The policy aims to accelerate the adoption of EVs to 25% of all new vehicle registrations by 2024. This accompanied by various efforts of the Delhi Government to bring electric vehicles, such as the Delhi Electric Delivery mission, have defined a new direction for green mobility in the state. Besides, efforts are being made to augment the public transport systems through increased network reach of Delhi Metro under Phase IV and induction of additional buses.

The webinar discusses the preparedness of Delhi Government and other state governments for the upcoming air pollution crisis, and the role of EVs and public transport to overcome it.