'Rs 10 cr spent on 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' ads, none of it last yr'

New Delhi: The Delhi government spent Rs 10.46 crore on advertisements related to the 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign to reduce vehicular pollution over the last two years, according to data obtained through an RTI application, which added that all of the costs were for the year 2020-21 and no advertisement cost was incurred on the campaign last year (2021-22).

Under the campaign launched on October 16, 2020, drivers are encouraged to switch off their vehicles while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The government has engaged civil volunteers to hold placards with the slogan of the campaign at busy intersections across the city who ensure the commuters kill the engine while waiting at traffic signals, and also hand out pamphlets carrying information on vehicular pollution.

The department deployed around 2,500 civil defence volunteers in two shifts of 8 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 8 pm at 100 traffic junctions in the latest leg of the campaign from October 18 to December 18 last year.

The government pays Rs 700 a day to every volunteer, according to officials.

The Delhi government spent Rs 10.46 crore on advertisements related to the campaign in the year 2020-21, according to the reply to an RTI application filed by social activist Amit Gupta. The city government's advertising agency, Shabdarth, said it did not incur any expenses on ads pertaining to the drive in the year 2021-22.

It added that the government has spent Rs 13.06 crore on "pollution-related advertisements" in the financial year 2021-22 so far.

Data from the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) shows that if people switch off engines at traffic signals, pollution can be cut down by 13-20 per cent.

As per government estimates, the transport sector accounts for 28 per cent of the PM2.5 emissions in Delhi. Vehicular emissions contribute to almost 80 per cent of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in Delhi's air.

While the Delhi government has used this data to justify their campaign, it is yet to officially announce whether the two years of this campaign had resulted in any substantial reduction in vehicular pollution at the intersections where it was implemented.

A total of 1.33 crore vehicles are registered in Delhi currently. The count of vehicles in the national Capital more than doubled to 643 per thousand population in 2019-20 from 317 in 2005-06.