NEW DELHI, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Local government in Indian capital city Delhi on Thursday launched a mass awareness campaign to promote electric vehicles (EVs).

The campaign titled "Switch Delhi" was launched by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal through a digital press conference.

Kejriwal urged people to buy electric vehicles to combat pollution in the national capital. He said vehicles were one of the main contributors of air pollution in the city.

As per Delhi electric vehicle policy, announced in August last year, 25 percent of all new vehicle registrations should be battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2024. The policy aims at cutting the vehicular pollution levels in the city.

Kejriwal said his government will hire only EVs for various purposes in the next six weeks.

The chief minister highlighted subsidies that will be provided by the city administration on purchase of electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers, besides waiving road tax and registration charges.

"We have to make EVs a mass movement now. The idea is to convince people to switch from their current vehicles to EVs, which have zero emissions. I also urge the youth, who are looking to buy their first car or bike, to go for an EV as the Delhi government is giving huge subsidies and there is no road tax or registration charges," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said more than 6,000 electric vehicles have been purchased since the policy launch in August 2020.

The government has also issued tenders for setting up 100 charging stations across the city, he said.

Kejriwal also urged delivery chains, big companies, resident welfare associations, market associations, malls and cinema halls to promote electric vehicles and set up charging stations at their premises.

Indian capital city Delhi is among the topmost polluted cities in the world.

Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction. For the past many years, every year ahead of winters the air quality in Delhi becomes hazardous. Enditem