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Odd-even Scheme
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government is taking all necessary measures to tackle air pollution and will implement additional steps, including the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, based on expert advice and requirements. Addressing a press conference here as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital breached the "severe-plus" category with a reading of 494, Rai said the Delhi government is taking all necessary steps to address the situation. In response to a question about the odd-even scheme, he said, "From our side, the Delhi government is taking all the necessary steps at our level. We are monitoring everything closely and making decisions on a daily basis. We will consult experts and take all required measures." Delhi recorded its second-worst air quality in six years on Monday. Fifteen monitoring stations saw AQI levels reaching the maximum limit of 500. The city's 24-hour AQI, recorded at 4 pm, was the highest in the country, up from 441 the ...
Indian Biogas Association has suggested enforcement of the odd-even rule for four wheelers in Delhi NCR to check air pollution and encourage people to shift to electric vehicles or those based on compressed biogas (CBG) or natural gas. Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 4 (with air quality index of over 450) measures, odd/even rule for four wheelers is imposed. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already imposed GRAP 3 measures with the air quality remaining in the "severe" category. Taking with PTI in an interaction, Indian Biogas Association (IBA) Chairman Gaurav Kedia said, "We recommend implementing the Odd-Even Rule for Petrol and Diesel Vehicles in the coming months so that a good impact can be seen for the air pollution levels in Delhi, and subsidy on EVs and CNG/CBG vehicles, as this will compel the citizens to shift to greener fuel alternatives. The air pollution situation in Delhi NCR worsens every winter, with the seasonal air quality index ...
The Delhi government on Wednesday said the odd-even car rationing scheme will be implemented in the national capital after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order. Addressing a press conference, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the city government would submit the results of two major studies conducted by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago and the Delhi Technical University to determine the scheme's effectiveness for the Supreme Court's review. "The decision to implement the odd-even scheme will be made only after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order," the minister said, adding that the matter will be next heard on Friday. On Tuesday, the apex court questioned the effectiveness of the Delhi government's scheme, aimed at curbing vehicular pollution, and referred to it as "all optics." Rai had previously announced the flagship scheme, which permits cars to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called an urgent meeting on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court's observations regarding the odd-even car rationing scheme, which will be enforced from November 13 to November 20. The high-level meeting, which will be attended by representatives from transport, revenue, and other departments, will convene at 12 noon to implement the Supreme Court's observations, an official said. The odd-even car rationing scheme, introduced in 2016, allows cars to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even number plates. The enforcement next week will mark the fourth time that the Delhi government has used this scheme to address pollution caused by vehicles. The minister had announced the scheme on Monday, amid worsening air quality in the national capital. The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the effectiveness of the Delhi government scheme, aimed at curbing vehicular pollution, and referred to it as "all optics.
The Delhi government will incorporate the Supreme Court's directions on pollution in finalising details of the odd-even car rationing scheme, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday. The minister on Monday announced that to combat pollution, the odd-even scheme will be enforced in the national capital from November 13-20. The apex court, while hearing a matter pertaining to air pollution in the Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, flagged issues like crop residue burning, vehicular pollution and burning of waste in the open. Rai said he held a meeting with senior officers of the transport and environment departments and the traffic police to discuss the modalities of the odd-even scheme. The government will now study the SC order and include its suggestions and directions to plan further, he added.
Several resident welfare associations in Delhi on Monday criticised the state government's decision to re-introduce the odd-even rule, while many others called for a complete lockdown to combat the rising air pollution. A network of 2500 RWAs, URJA, called the move a "political gimmick" and said that it does not have a bearing on improving the pollution. "The odd-even scheme is a political gimmick by the state government which has failed in introducing actionable solutions to this serious issue of pollution in Delhi. We are not happy with this decision," Atul Goel, president, United Residents Joint Action (URJA), said. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday announced that the odd-even car rationing scheme will be enforced in the city post Diwali from November 13 to 20 to control air pollution. A decision on extension of the odd-even scheme will be taken after November 20. The RWA in north Delhi expressed displeasure over the initiatives taken by the Delhi government to dea