The government has announced to run during Monday-Friday the controversial measure which says odd- and even-numbered private vehicles ply on alternate days as air quality has remained severally polluted over four days.
The National Green Tribunal called the Delhi government's Odd-Even traffic restrictions to clean up the city's toxic air a "farce" on Friday, and said it will not be rolled out without the NGT's go ahead.
"We will not allow it until you prove that it's not counter-productive," the NGT said. India's top environment court will take a call on the issue on Saturday.
The government has announced to run during Monday-Friday the controversial measure which says odd- and even-numbered private vehicles ply on alternate days as air quality has remained severally polluted over four days. The NGT said that a hundred measures have been suggested to curb pollution, but the government always opts for Odd-Even. After the resounding criticism, the government plan hangs in the balance.
The scheme is being rolled out under a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) given by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA). But EPCA chairman Bhure Lal told DNA that Odd-Even will be ineffective. "The announcement was made without consulting EPCA... it will create panic... Two-wheeler exemption and lack of buses will make Odd-Even infective," he said. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked Delhi government to provide details of the benefits during the earlier implementation of the scheme.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said there is no data to suggest that the road rationing scheme reduced vehicular pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The NGT also questioned the exemption given to two-wheelers, saying these are a major pollution contributor in Delhi where schools are shut for the week. The situation has not improved despite a slew of government measures -- ordering a halt to construction, restricting car use and raising parking charges fourfold.
Following a plea by the AAP government, the green panel however allowed the industries engaged in essential services to operate in Delhi-NCR on the condition that they would not pollute and cause emissions.
Illegal crop stubble burning, vehicle exhaust and construction dust have been causing Delhi's pollution crisis every winter. A US embassy measure of tiny particulate matter called PM 2.5 showed a reading of 523 at 9 am on
Friday. The safe limit of "good" air is 50. Commercial trucks are now banned from Delhi unless they are transporting essential commodities
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