Angela Merkel Highlights the Need of e-Mobility in India, Uses Delhi Pollution as an Example

German Chancellor Angela Merkel who recently spoke the business meeting in Delhi, stated that an Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility has been launched by both the countries where they have earmarked $ 1 billion towards the same.

In addition to this, Merkel also stated that Euros 200 Million have also been earmarked to reform bus sector in Tamil Nadu. “Whoever has looked at pollution in Delhi yesterday would find very good arguments to replacing diesel buses with electric buses” she said.

On Friday, a Supreme Court-mandated panel on Friday declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region and banned construction activity till November 5 as the air quality dipped to “severe-plus” levels and left citizens gasping for breath.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'. Above 500 falls in the 'severe-plus emergency' category.

Blaming neighbouring states for turning Delhi into a gas chamber, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday distributed over 50 lakh masks to school children and appealed to other residents to use them.

The blanket of haze over Delhi continued to thicken with the national capital's pollution levels increasing overnight by around 50 points, taking the overall air quality index to 459 on Friday morning.