NEW DELHI: If you care for Delhi, make sure to leave your car at home on January 22.That was the message of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, as he declared that day , a Friday, a car-free day in the entire length and breadth of the capital.
The CM stepped up the symbolic campaign to reduce air pollution while participating in the city's second carfree day, observed in Dwarka, southwest Delhi.
"I am asking everyone to take public transport to their office on January 22. I will also cycle to my office that day," said Kejriwal.
He said the government would run a campaign to en courage people to use cycles and public transport to reach their workplaces on that day. January 22 would be the fourth car-free day to be observed in the city and second (after December 23) to fall on a working day. On December 22, the campaign will be observed in Laxmi Nagar and Patparganj in east Delhi, deputy CM Manish Sisodia's constituency. "It will be a working day . We will ensure that it goes off successfully," transport minister Gopal Rai said.
On Sunday, Kejriwal and Sisodia turned up in Dwarka for a cycle rally in which a large number of schoolchildren, cycle enthusiasts and AAP volunteers participated, along with a few locals.
The car-free stretch was between sectors 3-13 and sectors 7-9 in Dwarka.
Kejriwal, who said that the first car free day in September, which took place between Red Fort and India Gate, had been hugely successful with a drop of almost 60% in the pollution levels, was optimistic about the successive car-free days as well. "The next one will be on a working day (December 22), and we want it to be a success as well... I am not saying that the entire city will follow our appeal, (but), if 5 to 10% of the people join in, pollution will come down by 10%," said Kejriwal.Vowing to make the car-free day campaign more than just a symbolic affair, Kejriwal spoke about the need to switch to public transport. He cited the findings of a pollution survey done by the CSE in September, during the first car-free day.
"There have been various points of view on the exact reason for the rising pollution in Delhi, but the cause became clear when pollution came down between Red Fort and India Gate because cars did not run on this stretch," he said.
"When Gopalji decided to hold a Car-Free Day every month, I had doubts... whether people would participate in large numbers and whether I would be able to ride a cycle.But, both doubts were cleared with many people taking part and I being able to use a cycle."
