Delhi govt defers odd-even scheme implementation pending Supreme Court review

Delhi air quality is severe/PTI

The Delhi government announced on Wednesday that the implementation of the odd-even car rationing scheme in the national capital will be delayed until the Supreme Court assesses its effectiveness and delivers a verdict. Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister, revealed this decision during a press conference, stated a report.

Rai stated that the city government intends to present the results of two significant studies conducted by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago and the Delhi Technical University to the Supreme Court. These studies are aimed at determining the efficacy of the odd-even scheme in addressing vehicular pollution.

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"The decision to implement the odd-even scheme will be made only after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order," Minister Rai emphasized, noting that the matter is scheduled for further consideration on Friday.

This development follows the Supreme Court's recent scrutiny of the Delhi government's scheme, which is designed to combat vehicular pollution. In the court's previous remarks, the scheme was referred to as mere "optics."

Initially, Minister Rai had announced that the flagship odd-even scheme, allowing cars to operate on alternate days based on their odd or even number plates, would be enforced between November 13 and November 20.

In light of this decision, it's worth noting that the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Evidence for Policy Design had assessed the impact of the odd-even system in 2016. Their findings revealed a 14-16 per cent reduction in PM2.5 levels in Delhi during the hours when the scheme was in effect in January of that year. However, when the scheme was reintroduced in April, it failed to achieve a reduction in pollution.

In addition to the postponement of the odd-even scheme, the entry of app-based taxis into Delhi has also been banned according to the Supreme Court's order, as stated by the minister.

Furthermore, Minister Rai indicated that the Delhi government has issued directives to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to resume full operation of the Connaught Place smog tower and release the remaining funds to IIT Kanpur for a study aimed at identifying various sources of pollution in the capital. Additionally, a special initiative will be launched to monitor and curb the open burning of waste in Delhi, with the establishment of 611 teams designated for this purpose.