The Delhi government will deploy 2,500 environmental marshals across the city to raise awareness about its recently launched anti-pollution campaign, ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off,’ Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.
These marshals will be deployed at 100 traffic lights in Delhi’s 11 districts, he said.
Addressing reporters, Rai said that pre-selected road signs are those where the red light lasts for two minutes.
“From October 21 to November 15, a ground-level awareness campaign on the ‘Red light on, Gaadi off’ campaign will be launched at 100 traffic lights. We are in the process of appointing 2,500 environmental sheriffs who will spread the word campaign awareness on these signs. It is an awareness campaign, not a compliance campaign, “he said.
(Also read: Impartial road traffic management is a last resort, says the minister)
Rai said that the local SDM and the traffic police (ACP) will monitor this campaign and, if necessary, the deputy commissioner (compliance) of the transportation department will also monitor the campaign.
“This campaign aims to initiate behavior change. It is an awareness campaign and not an enforcement campaign. It is the campaign of the 2 million people in Delhi, people who are concerned about the catastrophic consequences that pollution can have in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. This campaign is about taking ownership, “he said.
Sheriffs will be working in 2 shifts, and 10 of them will be located at each traffic point. The first shift will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the other will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Rai said.
“Aside from this, places like ITO, which are a little bigger in size, will have twice as many civil defense officers. Ten of those places have been identified. About 2000 commissars for 100 crosses and an additional 200 for the 10 a little bigger. 300 bailiffs have been kept in reserve in case of need, “Rai said.
He said that the Delhi government will write to all MPs, MLA, councilors, RWA, industrialists and other social agencies to participate in this campaign.
This campaign will be effective from 8 in the morning until 8 at night. For this, the Transport and Traffic police have identified and submitted a list of a select group of 100 major traffic points from 11 districts, he said.
“Sheriffs will adopt the principle of ‘Gandhigiri’. They will give red roses to those who do not turn off the ignition at red traffic lights. They will be informed why it is important that they do so and how they can combat pollution through the move,” he added .
The “Red light on, Gaadi off” campaign was launched by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on October 15.
Experts say that, on average, a vehicle stops at a red light for 15 to 20 minutes a day, consuming 200 ml of fuel and creating pollution.
If 10 lakhs of vehicles turn off the ignition at red lights, 1.5 tons of PM10 and 0.4 tons of PM2.5 will be avoided every year, they said.
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