Will answer all queries, resubmit file to L-G: Rai

New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday said the Delhi government will answer all questions raised by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on the "Red Light On, Gaadi Off" campaign and resubmit the file for his approval.

Addressing a press conference, Rai said, "We will give written answers to all queries raised by the L-G and resubmit the file (for approval)... We hope that he will make a positive decision on the issue soon."

Rai accused Saxena of doing politics over an issue concerning the lives of residents of Delhi.

"The L-G has returned the file, saying the Delhi government did not get a study conducted to ascertain the impact of the campaign over the last two years. We conducted the campaign in 2020 and 2021 after carefully studying all available information," he said.

The minister said a study conducted by the Central Road Research Institute showed that 9,036 litres of diesel, petrol and LPG and 5,461 kg of CNG is wasted at 950 traffic signals everyday in Delhi.

A study conducted by UrbanEmissions.info, an environmental research organisation, showed more than 17,000 tonnes of PM10 is emitted at traffic signals in Pune, Rai said.

"Delhi has four to five times the number of vehicles in Pune which means 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of PM10 is emitted at traffic signals in Delhi," he said, adding the purpose to launch the campaign was to reduce this emission.