The impact of EV policy in New Delhi on improving the air quality index
A well-known fact about Delhi’s air quality is that it is deteriorating rapidly. It generally starts getting worse by the end of October as winter arrives. It generates more air pollution for the capital city of India. According to Berkeley Earth, even if the AQI (air quality index) is typically adequate, breathing that air is equivalent to smoking 31 cigarettes.
As per WHO, The current air quality of New Delhi is so bad that it has affected and damaged the lungs of more than half of children. This eventually leads to an increased risk of diseases such as epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, allergies and lung cancer in children. PM 2.5 and 10 are the primary reasons for the reduction in people’s lung capacity in Delhi.
The current air quality of New Delhi is on high alert!
In New Delhi, the current PM2.5 concentration is 16.3 times more than the recommended limit provided by WHO 24 hours air quality guidelines value. This itself is an indication to bring a massive change in lifestyles and living standards of people in New Delhi.
All this pollution evolved from vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, construction sites, stagnant winds, population growth, fire in landfills, stubble burning and so on. For the same reason, the Government of New Delhi has taken up a few steps from 1988 until today to keep the AQI in control.
Recently in 2020, a 10-member air pollution team was created to examine the complaints from the Green Delhi Mobile application and work towards resolving them. The honourable chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, launched this application on 29th October 2020.
Considering the rapid growth in the bad air quality of Delhi, The Government is focusing more on the use of Electric vehicles, which would help to reduce or keep the AQI under control. For the same reason, several EV policies have been introduced to keep it in check
Encouraging the use of Electric Vehicles for a better future.
The website EV Delhi by the government of Delhi has launched the electric vehicle policy to have more EVs sold and consumed in Delhi. Assumptions are to have every one of four vehicles on the road be electric by 2024. The EV policy in Delhi also directs funding for various other sources such as pollution cess, road tax, congestion tax, etc.
These policies apply to all Delhi Electric vehicles, such as cars, buses, 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers. Several electric vehicle subsidies in Delhi were passed to encourage EV use. The Delhi government expects to bring together charge point operators, battery swapping operators, advanced chemistry battery manufacturers, delivery service providers, fleet owners, and electricity distribution companies-discoms under the initiative of EV policy.
The convenience of Subsidies by the Delhi Government for increasing the EV consumption
To stop stubble burning and provide assistance with better waste disposal methods, the Central Government and the Punjab and Haryana Governments have invested thousands of billions. The Delhi Government has also been receiving green funding to combat and reduce air pollution.
Under the EV Policy Delhi, the Government of Delhi offers an incentive of approximately ₹100 crores in 2020. Due to this, a 2 or 3-wheeler electric vehicle owner will spend up to ₹2,500 for a charging point installation with the help of Delhi Government subsidy. Not only this but a subsidy of ₹6,000 is offered to the first 30,000 applications for EV charger installations in New Delhi.
At Present, there are more than 2,500 charging stations, and the overall sales of EVs in Delhi have risen upto 40% since the Arvind Kejriwal Government’s announcement and implementation of the EV Policy in Delhi. The Delhi Government also stated that compared to the 5.83% of CNG vehicles, 9.37% of Electric vehicles were registered out of the total registrations. Overall, the total numbers of Electric vehicles in Delhi are over 1.64Lacs as per the PTI reports, and 67,603 EVs were sold post the electric vehicle policy in Delhi in 2 years.
The Ultimate mission of EV policy in Delhi
The overall mission of the EV policy in Delhi is to drive the rapid acceptance and adaptation of electric vehicle culture. This will eventually contribute to almost 25% of all new vehicle registrations by the end of 2024. The Arvind Kejriwal government also claims that EV sales will increase in the future as the target has already reached half its mark in March of up to 12.5%.
Electric Buses
To date, approximately 150 electric buses are riding on Delhi roads.With the current acceptance and improvements in the city, the end of 2023 assumes an estimation of nearly 2000 electric buses. 3 depots have already been electrified, and 17 more will be under the same roof by June next year. By December of next year, it is intended to electrify 35 bus depots.
Electric Autos and 2 wheelers vehicles
The EV market of New Delhi was initially driven by the e-rickshaws contributing almost 85% of the overall EV sales before the implementation of the EV Policy in Delhi. 2/3 of the current registration for EVs is for two and three-wheeler vehicles.
An online initiative was developed by the Delhi Government to purchase electric autos in Delhi with a 5% interest subvention. The Delhi Government approved 4,200 new permits in 2021, along with education and financial aid provisions for E-autos drivers.