"Go Electric, Go Now" Message From G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant To Tackle Delhi Pollution

Delhi becomes unlivable for three months a year, noted G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, underlining the severe economic and health burden of air pollution.

Speaking at a high-level event (Urban Adda) on World Environment Day, he noted that air pollution is cutting life expectancy by 6.3 years and costing the economy Rs 100,000 crore annually - nearly 3% of India's GDP.

Mr Kant laid out a clear and urgent roadmap for Delhi and other urban centres to tackle pollution head-on:

* Electrify all 2-and 3-wheelers within a year

* Mandate electric for all new taxis and convert current fleets within 24 months

* Ensure all school buses are electric or retrofitted in 2 years

* Shift all brick kilns to cleaner zigzag technology

* Install FGD and DSI units in all thermal power plants

* Adopt electric boilers in SMEs, powered by rooftop solar

"We must leapfrog to clean energy. Don't waste time or money on legacy technologies. Go electric, go now," he urged.

Backing this call, Rajesh Verma, Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), revealed how Delhi's infrastructure hasn't kept up with the vehicle explosion.

From 1981 to 2021, the number of vehicles in Delhi-NCR rose 21-fold, while road infrastructure only doubled, dangerous imbalance choking the city.

Mr Verma stressed that technology must be backed by enforcement and behavioural change, but also pointed to positive developments:

* 25% of Delhi's bus fleet is now electric, with 7,600+ e-buses deployed

* 'Good' AQI days are up by 30% in the last 7 years

* 'Severe' pollution days have fallen by nearly 25%

As a major step toward cleaner air, CAQM and Raahgiri Foundation have signed an MoU to create a Resources Lab for dust pollution control.

This hub will train urban officials from NCR cities in sustainable road design, dust mitigation, and non-motorized transport providing them the tools and techniques for long-term environmental resilience.