Why can’t you restrict odd-even scheme to a week: High Court asks Delhi govt

The court observed that the scheme was causing ‘inconvenience’ to the public.

New Delhi:

The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the AAP government why it cannot restrict odd-even scheme to a week while observed that it was causing \"inconvenience\" to the public at large.

\"What is the need to run odd-even scheme after a week \" the court asked. \"You will have to admit that you don't have enough public transport to ferry the public,\" the court said criticising the city’s transport system.

The court also asked the Kejriwal-led government to provide a report on whether the scheme had any significant effect on the pollution level in the national capital.

The Government on Tuesday had said that a data of pollutants collected from over 55 locations showed a clear trend of improving air quality in several areas across the city and that there has been a \"positive impact\" of the odd-even scheme.

\"According to the scientists of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), 80 per cent of PM2.5 air pollution is caused by vehicular traffic and reduction in its levels, even in outer areas of Delhi shows that reduction of four wheeled vehicles on roads since the New Year Day is having a positive impact,\" the government had said in a statement.

However, a report by IIT Kanpur had said vehicular pollutions contribute to around 25 per cent of PM2.5 concentrations during winters which comes down to 9 per cent during summers.

It said the ambient air data collected by DPCC through mobile dust samplers using Light Scattering Technique at 20 locations in peripheral areas of Delhi on January 4 showed a clear declining trend in the levels of PM2.5.

The major source of PM2.5 pollutant is vehicular pollution.

\"In 13 of these 20 locations, the PM2.5 level has been recorded at less than 300, which proves reduction in comparison to previous years at the same time by at least 100 units,\" it said.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai had asked for data collection from peripheral areas of Delhi to ascertain the impact of NCR towns on air pollution of Delhi. Rai said that the odd-even scheme was being smoothly implemeted.

Government said since January 1, the DPCC mobile teams have recorded ambient air data from 55 locations, and the trend is that air quality is improving in central parts and other areas which are not on the borders of the national capital.