The final week of the Switch Delhi campaign saw a large participation of youth as students and activists came forward in large numbers to support the campaign and help spread the message to the rest of the city’s youth to pledge to make their first vehicle an electric one.
The campaign focused on sensitizing Delhi’s youth on the benefits of electric vehicles and Delhi’s ‘Electric Vehicle’ (EV) policy
In light of the Switch Delhi campaign and its focus on Delhi’s youth in the final week, Vrikshit Foundation, an environmental organization led by a group of students, organized a wall painting event to spread awareness on EVs and on the Switch Delhi campaign.
Many youngsters came together and painted a wall at Ashok Vihar, Gulab Market on the message of the Switch Delhi movement. Members pledged their support to the campaign and took the Switch Delhi pledge to make their first vehicle electric.
“I strongly feel that switching to EV is a much-needed change that is required today. It helps in reducing pollution as well as lower operating costs. The Delhi government has an extremely organized approach towards this initiative and they’re working promoting EV amongst youth is commendable. It is important for the youth to turn this campaign into a mass movement to inspire the rest of the country in making sustainable choices,” Trisha Pavagadhi, Student and Member, Enactus Hansraj said.
“Keeping, in mind the excess amount of pollution, we at Enactus Hansraj, have also come up with an initiative in which we aid the physically handicapped in the procurement of E-bikes for the purpose of employment generation. This helps in promoting a cleaner and greener environment in Delhi as well as the empowerment of the disabled community. So, as a responsible citizen of India, I take the Switch Delhi pledge to make my first vehicle electric, and encourage every person around me to do the same,” she added.
Student environmentalist Aditya Dubey said that the transportation sector is one of the main sources of PM 2.5 emissions in Delhi and contributes to around 22 per cent of air pollution. “Electric Vehicles are environment-friendly, futuristic, and have a low total cost of operation as compared to petrol and diesel vehicles. It is the duty of every citizen to switch to electric vehicles more so now when the Delhi Government has launched very attractive subsidies on the purchase of electric vehicles,” he said.
The campaign will continue to engage with different stakeholders in Delhi to make the Chief Minister’s vision of making Delhi the EV capital a success.