Odd Even

Public transport woes stand in way of 'odd-even' scheme across NCR

delhi-traffic-cars-reuters.jpg.image.975.568 (File) Traffic in Delhi | Reuters

A Supreme Court-appointed environment panel on Friday said the next 'odd-even' vehicle rationing scheme will be applied across the National Capital Region (NCR), including Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad and not just Delhi, with minimum exemptions.

However, the efficiency of implementing such a plan will be questioned, given differences between various stakeholders and lack of clarity in expanding patronage of public transport systems such as the Delhi Metro, which has been criticised for a recent fare hike.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), in a meeting held in New Delhi with the governments of the neighbouring states, pushed for augmenting public transport for successful implementation of the odd-even scheme.

It said that a manual for the vehicle rationing scheme will be prepared based on the study of cities like Beijing, where such a scheme was implemented.

While being assured by the transport departments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh that they were working on augmenting the public transport system in the national capital, Gurugram and Noida, the EPCA said the odd-even scheme would, however, come without exemption only after public transport is augmented.

In this regard, Gurugram is already procuring 500 additional buses, of which most are CNG powered and 100 are electricity powered, EPCA members said.

UP and Delhi are also procuring more buses, with some expected to ply on roads by the end of this year.

"Next time, when odd-even has to be implemented, there has to be a mechanism in place so that it applies at all the urban areas of Delhi & NCR, with minimum exemptions meant only for the emergency vehicles and not two-wheelers or women drivers," said Usman Naseem, researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment and EPCA member.

The EPCA also discussed the difficulties faced during the recent smog episode in Delhi & NCR with the implementations of restrictions for 'severe plus or emergency' air quality situation under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The EPCA imposed 'severe-plus or emergency' category of GRAP from November 7 to 15 for the first time, under which all measures and restrictions were imposed except the odd-even scheme due to the disagreements between the Delhi government and the National Green Tribunal.

The severe-plus or emergency category of measures under GRAP comes in force if the major pollutant PM2.5 and PM10—or particles in air with diameter less than 2.5 and 10 micrometers—stay above 300 and 500 units for over 48 hours.

The safe limit for PM2.5 is 25 micrograms per cubic meter as per international standards and 60 units as per national standards.

"It has also been decided that the odd-even scheme shall come in force automatically once the pollution level reaches emergency levels, as the NGT directed," said Naseem.

The meeting held with stakeholders included state and Central pollution control boards, governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The EPCA also instructed the IMD to provide better forecasts and informing at least five to seven days prior to the possibilities of emergency or smog-like situation in Delhi & NCR, so that the NCR governments are prepared in advance to handle the situation under GRAP.

Discussing case-wise difficulties faced by the authorities while implementing GRAP recently while Delhi & NCR reeled under the environment emergency, the environment panel said the state pollution control boards will now keep a tab on all industries, like stone crushers, for better communication of stopping their activities in case air quality falls severely.

"This would help with better implementation during the next winter," the EPCA said.

The GRAP under EPCA includes several restrictions in Delhi & NCR like closing schools, banning diesel generator sets, hike in parking fee, augmentation of public transportation, implementation of odd-even road rationing scheme, stopping construction activities, water sprinkling to avoid dust pollution, closing down brick kilns and banning the entry of trucks in the national capital.

Kejriwal says fare hike will 'kill' metro

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the steep hike in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) fares will kill the metro system.

"This steep hike in metro fare will kill Delhi Metro. If people stop using it, then what purpose does it serve," Kejriwal tweeted.

The chief minister was referring to media reports on Friday that the Metro had lost 3 lakh commuters a day after the fare hike on October 10.

On Friday, DMRC in its defence had said the loss cannot solely be attributed to the fare hike and there were monthly variations noted throughout the year.

The Delhi government had opposed the fare hike and locked horns with the DMRC and Central government over the matter.

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