A bench of Justices V M Kanade and Reveti Mohite-Dere asked the respondents, including state Ministry of Environment, Regional Transport Office and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), to file affidavits by February 9.
As per the odd-even pattern, vehicles with registration numbers ending with even figures and those with odd numbers would run on alternate days respectively.
Recent studies conducted by experts show that the pollution levels are steadily rising and hence there is a need to introduce the odd-even rule for private vehicles on roads, the petitioner contended.
Counsel for MCGM, Anil Sakhare, sought time to address the court on the issue. Advocates Armin Wandrewala and Ravi Gadagkar appeared as intervenors.
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The PIL said that Delhi implemented the odd-even traffic pattern because of poor air quality. A similar exercise should be undertaken in Mumbai also to bring down the air pollution levels, it said.
To begin with, the odd-even rule could be implemented in Mumbai for 15 days, the petition said and prayed that a committee be formed to adopt this pattern on a permanent basis.
Along with these petitions, the high court would also take up hearing a notice of motion pending since 1999. The motion was taken out in a petition filed by Debi Goenka of Bombay Environmental Action Group about a scheme proposed in 2004 to restrain vehicles by 20 per cent on any day in a week.
The Maharashtra government had then said that this scheme cannot be implemented.