‘Time for war on pollution’: India takes shape on EV and Dust Control Push Urban Eda 2025
New Delhi: Urban Adda 2025 Wrapped on World Environment Day after three days of discussion, policy announcements and public engagement, focused on clean mobility, gender equity and permanent urban design. Organized by Raahgiri Foundation in partnership with International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and Gurujal, and supported by the cities, in the event, more than 600 participants were brought together in 30 sessions at the India Habitat Center.Union Minister Mansukh Mandavia, while inaugurating the summit on World Cycle Day, reflected his personal use of cycling to arrive and asked for a cultural change: “Cycling is the best form of exercise and solution of pollution. Let’s shed the idea that this is only for a certain class. It should become a national movement. ,Delhi Transport Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh announced the upcoming launch of Delhi’s EV Policy 2.0, which aims to address the security of the last mile, to remove the lack of the bus and improve the transport region. “It is just about how many buses, but do people feel safe in them,” he said.The second day spotted the gender and urban mobility, in which actor and entrepreneur Pooja Bedi said, “Our movement is not a journey, it is alive. A medal is reaching home without trauma.” His comment noted the daily challenges faced by women in public transport.Rajasthan Minister Rajyavardhan Rathor talked about the success of rural electrification in his state, while discussion on electric vehicle localization warned against copying the internal combustion engine model. Neha Jain of JSW MG Motors said, “EV localization should follow the demand, not determine it.”The last day focused on climate flexibility and public transport region. ICCT and IIT ROORKEE released a comprehensive review of EV emissions. CAQM President Rajesh Verma warned of uncontrolled vehicle growth: “The vehicles have increased 21 times since 1981 – but the roads have barely doubled.”India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant cited the economic and health toll of pollution in Delhi and called for immediate reforms, including electrification of two and three-wheelers and adopting solar-driven technologies in small industries. “Delhi lost Rs 100,000 crore and 6.3 years of life expectancy for annual pollution. It is a war time against it,” he said.The incident concluded with the signature of a memorandum between CAQM and Raahgiri Foundation to develop a resource laboratory for dust pollution mitigation in NCR cities.
