Delhi air pollution: AAP govt holds meeting to chalk out strategy for implementing odd-even scheme

Pic/PTI

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot chaired a meeting on Tuesday to chalk out a plan for implementing the Odd-Even scheme in the national capital at Delhi Secretariat, reported news agency ANI.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday chaired an emergency meeting, deciding to bring back the 'Odd-Even' rule.

Speaking after the high-level meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal yesterday, Gopal Rai announced the odd-even scheme in the city between November 13 and 20, reported ANI.

As part of the scheme under the GRAP-IV stage, private vehicles with registration plates ending in odd numbers could run on odd dates and even numbers on even dates.

Further, in the backdrop of the deteriorating air quality, the Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Punjab government on the issue of stubble burning, saying that it cannot be a 'political battle' every time, reported ANI.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhuliaapex observed that there can't be a political battle all the time and that stubble burning needs to be stopped.

"We want it (stubble burning) stopped. We don't know how you do it, it's your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately," the apex court told Punjab after the government's counsel said that farmers are burning the stubble on account of economic reasons, reported ANI.

Speaking on the Supreme Court's directions on pollution, Gopal Rai said, "The Supreme Court has given its observations related to stubble burning, firecrackers, and air pollution in Delhi. Our government will implement the order of the Supreme Court. The problem of pollution is the problem of the whole of North India. I request all governments that if we implement all the steps to reduce pollution, we will succeed."

According to the data issued by the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India), the air quality in the national capital on Monday was recorded at 488, up from 410 a day ago, reported ANI.

Meanwhile, 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, reported PTI.

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.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)