As the smog-shrouded Delhi continues with its struggle to breathe with air pollution levels hitting the ‘severe category’, the Delhi government is pondering over implementing the ‘Odd-Even’ scheme again, if needed.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the media that the government is taking a number of steps like tree plantation drives and buying 3000 buses etc to fight the rising air pollution. He also asserted that if the need arises, the government will implement the ‘Odd-Even’ scheme.
The Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has asked the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the senior officials in the ministry to be”fully geared up” for the implementation of the vehicle rationing ‘Odd-Even’ scheme to restrict the number of cars on the road “as and when” it is announced. He added that this would be an emergency measure by the government to deal with the increasing pollution levels in Delhi.
The ‘Odd-Even’ scheme is based on the last digit of the vehicle’s registration number. It was implemented twice by the AAP-led Delhi government in 2016 — from January 1-15 and April 15-30. It is a method of rationing the number of vehicles on the road by restricting half of the vehicles on any given day. Under the scheme, odd and even numbered vehicles ply on alternate days. The scheme can be implemented when air pollution levels continue to be in the ’emergency’ category for 48 hours or more.
The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), which is empowered to enforce
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), said the last week that, if needed, it would enforce the ‘odd-even’ plan, order cars off roads, and shut schools in the capital. EPCA is appointed by the Supreme Court. EPCA has already taken strict measures like shutting the Badarpur thermal power plant and brick kilns and banning generators after the air pollution levels in Delhi reached ‘Very Poor’ and ‘Severe’ categories.