New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) The ‘Shoonya’ campaign on zero pollution mobility launched in 2021 has helped in reduction of pollution and saved fuel worth Rs 597 crore, the government said on Monday.
Replying to queries related to the campaign in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, Union Minister for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh shared that efforts will be made to bring more electric vehicles in this initiative, as currently it only includes delivery system and ride-hailing.
The minister informed the House that more than 200 corporate partners have collaborated in this initiative and completed approximately 574 million rides and deliveries up to April 2024 on electric vehicles.
“It has helped in reduction of particulate matter pollution by approximately 11.5 tonne, Nitrogen Oxide pollution by approximately 408 tonne, Carbon Dioxide pollution by approximately 61,000 tonne. This is equivalent to fuel savings of approximately Rs 597 crore at current retail prices and planting of approximately 1.1 million trees,” the minister said.
Asked whether the campaign will be extended to more vehicles, especially those used for public transport, the minister said: “So far, it (Shoonya campaign) is only limited to the delivery system and to ride-hailing. But like I said earlier, we will be expanding it as time goes by…”.
‘Shoonya’ – Zero Pollution Mobility Campaign was launched on September 15, 2021. It is a pan-India consumer awareness campaign administered by NITI Aayog in partnership with leading companies working in the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in India.
“There has been no government funding for this campaign. The funding of campaign, so far, has been an industry initiative. So far, over 200 corporate partners (domestic and global) have collaborated in this initiative,” the Ministry of Planning said in a written reply. PTI RSN RSN ANU ANU
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