Delhi air pollution is a good reason to bring the change: Angela Merkel

New Delhi : German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Delhi when the national capital is passing through one of its worst phases of air pollution; taking a note of the situation, she said the air pollution can be a good argument on replacing the public buses which run on diesel with the electric ones.

As a part of German-Indian partnership projects, she pledged to provide India  one billion euros--about Rs 8,000 crore at current exchange rate—in the next five years for green urban mobility. 

"We will also earmark Euros 200 Million 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," Merkel said on Saturday.

In Delhi, Friday was the most polluted day in last two years with Air Quality Index touching 484 around 4 PM. The air quality improved marginally on Saturday and came out of the 'emergency' zone, but still remained in the 'severe' category. 

Merkel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the 5th Intergovernmental Consultations between the two countries on Friday and signed several pacts for cooperation in trade, investment, regional security, climate change, defence, artificial intelligence etc.

She will be paying a visit to the Dwarka Sector 21 Metro Station on Saturday; the solar panels fitted on the station have been funded by the German government. 

Merkel said on Friday that her country would like to collaborate with India in infrastructure projects, waste management and water supply.

Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and more than 1,700 German companies operate in the country.