Gurugram, April 30 -- Gurugram has become among the first cities in India to commit to establishing zero-emission School Clean Air Zones (SCAZs), with 500-metre perimeters around schools where vehicular emissions will be strictly regulated, officials said on Wednesday. The commitment was formalised at a multi-stakeholder roundtable organised by the Raahgiri Foundation and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), in collaboration with the district administration. Officials said details regarding the legal framework, enforcement mechanisms, funding sources and cost estimates are currently under process and will be shared once the project report is finalised. Dr Naresh Kumar, joint commissioner of MCG, said, "School pickup and drop times are a particular challenge. Protecting our children from vehicular emissions is an administrative priority that requires immediate, collective action." Pooja Chanwaria, additional commissioner, MCG, said, "If we work together collaboratively as a community, with schools and government, on public transportation, plantation, and school zones, we could achieve fruitful results." Authorities said 20 schools have been identified for an initial pilot, where measures such as no-idling zones, restrictions on high-emission vehicles and real-time air quality monitoring will be enforced. The initiative also proposes transitioning school bus fleets to electric vehicles within a defined timeline and promoting e-autos and e-rickshaws for last-mile connectivity, aligned with state EV policies, officials aware of the proposal said. The move follows findings from air quality sensors installed at pilot schools that showed high pollution levels during peak hours, with experts flagging risks from "toxic hotspots" caused by idling vehicles and diesel buses. Meanwhile, co-founder of Raahgiri Foundation, Sarika Panda, called the initiative a rights-based intervention. "This is a children's rights imperative. Every child deserves to breathe clean air on their journey to build a future. Today, Gurugram moves beyond voluntary measures to an enforceable framework that puts health at the centre of urban mobility," she said. Amit Bhatt, managing director of ICCT, cited global precedents. "Global precedents like London's School Streets prove that targeted interventions at school gates significantly reduce harmful NO2 levels. By mandating zero-emission alternatives and restricting high-polluting vehicles, Gurugram is setting a vital precedent for every city in the National Capital Region," he said....