Centre Pushes Faster EV Shift Amid Rising Pollution

A high-level meeting led by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister has
raised concerns that Delhi alone has more than half of all the vehicles in the
entire NCR. It also noted that 37% of vehicles in Delhi-NCR still follow old BS
I to BS III emission norms. The meeting told all states and Union Territories to
speed up the shift to electric vehicles, build more charging stations, and
strictly enforce pollution rules.

As winter began, pollution levels increased and Delhi’s air quality became
‘very poor,’ with the AQI crossing 350. The Delhi government activated Stage
2 of the GRAP pollution-control plan. The task force met on October 24, with
senior officials from at least eight central departments — including environment,
power, housing, and agriculture — and the chief secretaries of Delhi, Rajasthan,
Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.