Indian capital starts plan to cut pollution by limiting cars

When asked whether he was nervous in the morning over the odd-even scheme drive, Kejriwal said, “Yes, I was nervous in the morning on how people will react to this”. The Delhi Government has made a decision to restrict plying of private cars bearing odd and even registration numbers to alternate days from January 1 to 15 as part of the first phase of the scheme. “I am confident that in the next five years people will show the way to the rest of the country”.

“Delhi has done it! We thank all people for choosing their children’s health”, Delhi’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai said.

The Department of Transport, Government of National Capital of Delhi, has issued orders prohibiting the parking of Odd Number non-transport four wheeled vehicles (motor cars etc.) on even dates and Even Number non-transport four wheeled vehicles (motor cars etc.) on odd days from January 1-15, 2016.

Twitter users can get details of public transport available in particular areas by tweeting #pollutionfreeDelhi followed by the departure and destination point. The government has said that special buses will ferry people between Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida. People have cooperated in successful implementation of the scheme – MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI SENIOR BJP LEADER █ The scheme was launched in a hurry without working on its micro- detailing and coming out with solutions to the practical problems – SATISH UPADHYAY DELHI BJP CHIEF █ I support the Odd-Even plan. Environment Minister Imran Hussain and Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar will take an auto and a bus, respectively, to reach Delhi Secretariat.

The police chief said he had proposed to the Delhi government to allow women not having a driving licence or who do not know how to drive to travel with a male driver, considering safety the aspect, but it was shot down.

As the world watches Delhi’s moves, time will only spell out if the unique initiative paves the way for other Indian cities to adopt similar measures to curb pollution. Somehow the police also seemed to have swallowed its initial hostility to the idea of volunteers and at least those spoken to by The Citizen said that both sides were “cooperating” in ensuring that the rule was enforced. “Whenever pollution levels spike, this is used as a weapon”. “It took me just 20 minutes to cover the distance from my Yamuna Vihar residence to Secretariat which normally takes 1.5 hours any day”, said the young minister.

Bassi also said it is now clear that only civil defence volunteers can be pressed into service and none of them will act independently.

“Some people are saying that the real test of this scheme will be on Monday when people in large numbers will go to work”.

The Delhi government claimed pollution levels had reduced across stations, but experts pointed out that the dip was only seen till first half of the day in many stations.

One such board outside Delhi Secretariat read suspended particulate matter PM 2.5 and PM 10 at 360 and 480 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively, at 9.30 AM, several times above the safe limits. Traffic police also let off many with a warning, waiving off the 2,000 rupee (S$43) fine.