Delhi smog: AAP govt withdraws petition after NGT rejects odd-even exemptions

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday withdrew its petition for modifications on the Odd-Even scheme to tackle pollution as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rejected its request to exempt women and two-wheelers while rationing cards.

"When reports have stated that two-wheelers are more polluting than four-wheelers, why do you intend to give arbitrary exemptions? Is this a joke? What does one stand to gain from this?," the NGT questioned the Kejriwal-led government.

Further, the NGT asked the government as to why it can't run special buses for women to solve the problem of transport during the Odd-Even rule.

Slamming the government for inadequate measures to curb pollution and not taking action on time, the NGT said, "Don't gift infected lungs to children. They have to wear masks to school.What constitutes a health emergency according to you? Measures should be applied automatically by the government after dangerous levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 persist for more than 48 hours."

The Delhi government on Saturday had put Odd-Even on hold after the NGT objected to the exemptions granted to women and two-wheelers. 

The NGT had on November 11 given a conditional nod to the AAP government's decision to implement the odd-even car rationing scheme for five days from November 13, ordering that no exemption should be allowed to "any person or officer and two-wheelers".

It had said the odd-even scheme should be implemented "without any default" as and when PM (particulate matter) 10 level goes above 500 microgrammes per cubic metre and PM 2.5 level crosses the limit of 300 microgrammes per cubic metre during a span of 48 hours.

The government had on Saturday scrapped its plan to implement the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme it had slated to start from Monday, after NGT said there will be no exemption for women, two-wheelers and government servants.

The national capital has been experiencing dense smog for about a week, forcing the authorities to enforce emergency measures such as banning construction activities and brick kilns in the National Capital Region.

The AAP dispensation was also in touch with environment scientists and continuously monitoring the alarming pollution level which has left people gasping for breath.