In a bid to curb domestic carbon emission and control the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Delhi government’s odd-even scheme kicked in at 8 am today. This is the 3rd round of the odd-even implementation by the Delhi government.
On Monday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) showed
major pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 were both at 500 — in the ‘severe’ category.
As reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),
the national capital’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 494 at
4pm on Sunday, the highest since November 6, 2016, when it was 497.
The scheme will be applicable from 8 am to 8 pm till 15th of November and likely to be extended if pollution levels continue to remain in the severe category. However, the scheme will not be effective on Sunday on November 10.
On the first day of the exercise, only even-numbered private vehicles will be allowed on Delhi roads and odd-numbered private cars will ply on odd dates. That means cars having registration numbers ending with 0,2,4,6,8 will be allowed to ply on Delhi roads on Monday,4th November and cars with registration numbers ending with an odd digit (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) will be allowed on odd dates. There is no exemption for the vehicles with registration numbers of other states, must follow the odd-even rules.
On Monday morning, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Hindi tweeted: “Namaste Delhi. Odd-even is starting today to reduce pollution. Do follow odd-even for yourself, your children’s health and for the sake of your family’s breath. Share cars. This will build friendship, strengthen relationships as well as save petrol and reduce pollution. Delhi will show it again.”
This scheme exempts two-wheelers and cars driven by women or carrying only women passengers and vehicles carrying school children, emergency vehicles.
The vehicles of President and The Prime Minister of India are exempted as. The state governors, Chief Justice of India, Speakers of the Lok Sabha, Supreme Court judges, Union ministers and leaders of the Opposition of both the Houses, Delhi police paramilitary forces and a few other VIPs have also been exempted.
However, the ministers of Delhi including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not be exempted.
For a strict implementation of the odd-even scheme, hundreds of teams of Delhi Traffic Police and the transport and revenue departments have been deployed. On violating the rules, people will be fined upto Rs 4,000.
The
Delhi government has announced staggered working hours of its offices for the
first time following the implementation of the odd-even scheme. The working
hours of a total of 42 government offices have been staggered, with 21 having
office timings from 10.30 pm to 7 pm and the rest from 9.30 am to 6 pm during
the implementation of the 12-day odd-even scheme.
The Delhi government has roped in 500 additional busses for various
routes to accommodate maximum commuters. It has also held talks with app based
taxi providers who have ensured that there will be no surge pricing or
overcharging during the odd-even scheme. While Uber
has offered to deploy 5,000 bike-taxis to improve first and last mile
connectivity, Ola has proposed to re-deploy bikes from its food delivery
platform to function as bike-taxis during the 12-day period of the scheme.
