Skip to main content

Delhi’s plan to cut pollution

The authorities in Indian capital Delhi are keen to cut pollution in the city. Delhi currently ranks as one of the worst in the world for air pollution, with vehicles, power generation and industry as three of the prime causes of the problem. The next step being made will be to restrict drivers from using their vehicles to alternate days, depending on whether the licence plate has an odd or even number. This approach has been used already in a number of cities such as Lagos and Beijing to cut congestion and
December 9, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The authorities in Indian capital Delhi are keen to cut pollution in the city. Delhi currently ranks as one of the worst in the world for air pollution, with vehicles, power generation and industry as three of the prime causes of the problem. The next step being made will be to restrict drivers from using their vehicles to alternate days, depending on whether the licence plate has an odd or even number. This approach has been used already in a number of cities such as Lagos and Beijing to cut congestion and pollution levels.

The scheme in Delhi will have its detractors but is seen as essential to help reduce the city’s chronic pollution problem. The city’s coal-fired power station is also to be shut down in a bid to further address the issue. In addition to exhaust emissions and industry, the smoke from fires provides another key source of the air pollution. The city is now ranked as having the worst air quality of any in the world, having surpassed Beijing for this dubious honour. Mumbai and Hyderabad also suffer severe pollution but no measures have so far been announced for these cities.

In the future, vehicles being operated in Delhi will have to meet the Euro VI emissions legislation and this measure will be implemented from 2017. In past years diesel vehicles were required to run on gas in a bid to cut pollution. But even this measure has had an insufficient effect on improving air quality in recent times.

Related Content

  • Thailand's school zones project wins Evonik award
    March 13, 2017
    The Department of Rural Roads, Thailand (DRR) was rewarded for a comprehensive road safety initiative around schools, especially in rural areas. The award ceremony was held in the IRF offices in Geneva According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Thailand ranks among the countries with the highest number of traffic fatalities/ capita. In 2015, the country saw a road death rate of 36.2/100,000 of population. With this, Thailand ranked second in fatal traffic crashes worldwide and its situation regard
  • Phone safety move addressed
    October 31, 2019
    The UK Government is closing a legal loophole that has allowed drivers to escape prosecution for hand-held mobile phone use while behind the wheel. At present, the law prevents drivers from using a hand-held mobile phone to call or text. However, people caught filming or taking photos while driving have escaped punishment. Lawyers have successfully argued this activity does not fit into the ‘interactive communication’ currently outlawed by the legislation. The revised legislation will mean any drive
  • Saving lives, funding roads the focus of IRF – RA Regional Conference in Sydney in May
    April 8, 2015
    Road safety, funding and financing will be among the key issues on the table at the inaugural IRF - Roads Australia Regional Conference for Asia and Australasia, to be held in Sydney from May 4th - 6th, 2015. The Conference coincides with UN Global Road Safety Week, with safer roads, worksites and driver behaviour being a central focus of discussions. Speakers from across the Asia Pacific are expected to share learnings and experiences in tackling regional road safety and the challenges and opportunities fo
  • Volvo updates FMX construction trucks
    January 6, 2017
    Volvo Trucks has updated its FMX construction tipper range, first launched in 2010. The latest FMX adopts the Euro 6 engine line-up introduced earlier this year in the firm’s on-highway FM and FH trucks, with D11 offerings at 246-335kW and D13 engines delivering 313-402kW. These engines are equipped with non-cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The FMX range is available with Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS), which uses an electric motor to assist the hydraulic power ste