[email protected]
Letter Sent on 09th December 2015 to the above mentioned email address provided by Delhi Government, on Radio.
Concerned Authority/ Chief Minister
For Pollution Free Delhi
Delhi.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Being a concerned citizen of Delhi and also a supporter of AAP and its decisions, it was my prime duty to participate in this government’s initiative towards making Delhi a Pollution Free State.
First and foremost my focus of concern has shifted from everything else, to the new Car/Vehicle usage formula, i.e. cars with odd number at end, for odd dated and cars with even number at the end, for even dates.
I would like to bring to your notice, the shortcomings of this plan and also the drawbacks of implementing this law;
- This law will further increase vehicles in Delhi.
Dear sir, it is certainly very wise to reduce traffic on roads to further reduce the air pollution due to traffic. But this new law, if implemented, will further increase traffic on roads and raise the vehicle ownership ratio. For example, the person who wishes to buy a vehicle for 8 Lakhs will try and buy two cars for 4 Lakhs each, which will push up the car sales of pre-owned and new cars in Delhi; which will be there for you to see, if you would analyse the record of car-sale purchase and car registration at various Traffic Authorities in DELHI-NCR.
- This law will increase inconvenience for people with work places in NCR region.
Other than that, it will be utter inconvenience for those who have factories and businesses in NCR region, but live in Delhi itself. For them buying one car with odd number at end and one car with even digit at end will be the only possible option. Even if people shift to using taxis and TSRs, still the traffic presence on roads will be the same, and targeted reduction in traffic will not be met.
However, a forced implementation of such a law can not be challenged, neither can it be protested, as there is still a very large ratio of people who use Delhi Metro and DTC buses for commuting. Instead if using a vehicle could be placed under necessity, rather than leisure and to prevent misuse, there can be other measures which can be followed:
- The very first option that comes to 90% of necessary car users of Delhi will be to Increase the price of fuel; i.e. Petrol & Diesel
If petrol is forcefully priced at 200 Rupees a litre, those who can avoid using vehicles will be encouraged to do so, resulting a drastic drop in Cars and Vehicles usage. Also, the additional money collected i.e. some Rs 140/- can be collected in government’s buffer account. This buffer/Reserve account can be further used for implementing and encouraging usage of alternative sources of energy, which are less polluting. Similar formula can be used for diesel provided there’s not much resistance from commercial transporters, which may further increase the prices of basic commodities.
- The second option that could be implemented is FORCED Participation in Energy Conservation.
If energy is conserved and Delhi is able to stop wastage of energy, a lot of power generation plants which are dedicated to meet the increasing requirements of Delhi’s electricity can be relaxed. In the similar way, what BASIC Nations are fighting against the developed nations for suffering sanctions for the luxuries that developed nations enjoy, Delhi also has Lavish spenders and Necessity users. For all those shopping malls, banquets, showrooms, and restaurants and food joints, there should be a policy to reduce their lavish electricity consumptions, which are certainly uncalled for. These units which consume such high fractions of Delhi’s electricity should be forced to install Solar Panels for generating electricity. Their current bills should be scanned and they should be forced to reduce their consumptions by 50%, with use of Solar Panels and lesser energy consuming devices such as LEDs etc. Further, a standard maximum allotment of electricity load per square feet should be implemented, which would discourage wastage of electricity by lavish spenders.
- Discourage Polluting fuels and Encourage Non Polluting sources of Energy. Add Surcharge to Polluters and give Subsidy to Non Polluters.
An extra surcharge can be imposed on vehicles running on petrol and diesel; which could compensate discounts which can be offered on Hybrid vehicles and vehicles running on electricity.
A steep surcharge of Rs. 200,000.00- Rs. 500,000.00 (Rupees Two Lakhs Only to Rupees Five Lakhs only) on petrol cars sold in DELHI-NCR and a surcharge of Rs. 500,000.00 – 10,00,000.00 (Rupees Five Lakhs only to Rupees Ten Lakhs Only) on cars running on diesel, depending upon their engine capacity. This amount can again go into Delhi Government’s Pollution fighting reserve, and should be used to provide hefty discounts and subsidies on Electricity run vehicles and Hybrid vehicles.
- Peak time cap on use of vehicles in highly congested areas.
In Delhi there are certain areas where traffic jams are very very frequent. Such areas act like smoke factories of Delhi. These areas can either be made out of bounds for traffic for certain intervals of time, or necessary man force should be deployed in this area for facilitation of smooth traffic. Parking in such areas should be strictly prohibited and violators should be dealt with strict actions as well as penalties. These areas are very easy to be identified, for example: Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Ring Roads, Azad Market and areas of walled city.
Honestly these were few thoughts which came to my mind being an ordinary Aam Aadmi; which I feel can drastically bring down pollution levels and which can be easily implemented without much opposition from all groups of society.
With Best Regards,
Hitesh Madaan
Email: [email protected]
Ph.: +91-9810509876
