Delhi transport minister urges people to stop depending on private vehicles

The Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) on Sunday organised a neighbourhood "Raahgiri Day" programme on the theme of "Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh" in outer Delhi's Najafgarh, where Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot appealed to people to stop depending on private vehicles to reduce pollution.

The event was held on the road leading to Mitraon village, near the Institute of Technology.

Under the programme, streets were opened for the public and were kept completely free of traffic between 7.30 am and 10.30 am.

Thousands of school children and the people of Najafgarh participated in the programme while complying with COVID-19 norms.

"Thousands of school children and the people of Najafgarh, including the 80-year-old mother of the transport minister, participated in the programme while complying with COVID-19 norms. They participated in many activities like walking, running, cycling, skating, street games, music bands, painting, dance, performing arts, yoga, aerobics, zumba etc.," an official statement said.

Gahlot, who is also the MLA from Najafgarh, said the aim of the event was to convey the message that if people want to reduce pollution, they need to stop depending on private vehicles when they can cycle, walk and run instead.

"The Delhi government is committed to making the roads safer for pedestrians and our efforts to convert the traffic intersection at Rajghat into a pedestrian-friendly zone is one such example," Gahlot, who arrived at the venue on a cycle, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Recalling his childhood days, the minister said he and his friends would cycle to the markets several times a day.

He appealed to people to cycle and walk to nearby areas instead of using motor vehicles.

The event was organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in association with the Raahgiri Foundation and WRI India. It was the first Raahgiri event in outer Delhi, the statement said.

Vice-Chairperson of the DDCD Jasmine Shah said roads are not just for the use of vehicles but also for the communities to enjoy.

"We have all witnessed Delhi's pollution and can understand why we need to reduce the use of private motor vehicles to reduce our share of pollution. Under the chief minister's leadership, Najafgarh will set an example for the rest of Delhi on how to reduce pollution together," Shah was quoted as saying in the statement.

Co-founder of the Raahgiri Foundation Sarika Panda Bhatt said, "Place-making is connecting people with places and there is no better way of making these connections than the streets of our cities. Today's 'Raahgiri Day' in Najafgarh is one such example."

This was the second of the six Raahgiri days being hosted in Delhi over a period of three months with the theme "Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh" to spread awareness about pollution.

The first such event was organised on November 14 in Patparganj.

These events are being organised in the backdrop of the "Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh" campaign launched recently by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to engage and encourage citizens to take individual responsibility for reducing air pollution by cutting down on the usage of private vehicles by at least one day a week.