Rajya Sabha secretariat flags off E-vehicles to ferry members within Parliament complex

Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Desh Deepak Verma on November 15, kickstarted two units of E-vehicle transport facility for ferrying members in the Parliament premises. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu also inspected the E-Vehicles after they were flagged off. The vehicles have been hired with a view to curb air pollution, keeping in line with the policy of the central government to promote the use of electric vehicles as a replacement to the existing petrol and diesel vehicles. 

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'Need for alternative sources of energy'

Speaking on the increasing pollution levels in the national capital and its adverse impact on the lives of the people, Verma stated that there is a need to look for alternative sources of energy which are clean, green and pollution-free. 

"The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has taken a step in this direction by adding two electric vehicles in its fleet and made its contribution in combating the menace of pollution and for mitigating the effects of climate change," he said. 

The vehicles will transport the members of the parliament from one place to another within the parliamentary complex.

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A Skymet report has revealed that New Delhi was the world's most polluted city on November 15, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 527. The national capital's air quality and pollution levels have been a matter of concern for the citizens, politicians and environmentalists alike with serious health complications on people.

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The report also features Kolkata and Mumbai in the list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world. Second on the list was Pakistan's Lahore, with AQI levels of 234. This means that Delhi's AQI levels were more than double the second most polluted city. Tashkent was third with an AQI level of 185, Karachi fourth with 180, Kolkata fifth with 161, Chengdu sixth with 158, Hanoi seventh with 158, Guangzhou eighth with 157, Mumbai ninth with 153 and Kathmandu completes the list with 152.

(With ANI inputs)

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