Odd-even to be implemented in NCR towns too if pollution turns severe, says EPCA
The NCR towns where the odd-even would be introduced are Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Faridabad. Towns like Bhiwadi in Rajasthan would be exempted for the moment, said Narain.
The next time pollution levels hit the ‘severe’ zone in Delhi-NCR, and the odd-even road rationing measure needs to be introduced, it would be enforced in NCR towns too along with Delhi, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority said on Friday.
The panel also said that there would be minimal exemptions as prescribed in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
EPCA would not just take into account the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) but would also take a look at how such vehicle rationing measures are implemented in cities like Beijing and Paris.
“The next time odd-even is introduced it would be NCR-wide as the GRAP needs to be implemented in the entire NCR. It would be introduced particularly in the NCR towns adjoining Delhi,” said Sunita Narain, member of EPCA.
The NCR towns where the odd-even would be introduced are Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Faridabad. Towns like Bhiwadi in Rajasthan would be exempted for the moment, said Narain.
“These are the most polluted urban districts neighbouring Delhi. In the first phase we would be introducing the measure in these towns. We will extend it later if needed,” Narain said.
A senior official of the Delhi Transport Department, who was present in the review meeting, said exemptions should be on “functional requirements” and not on individual basis.
Earlier this month, when pollution had breached emergency levels, the Delhi government had decided to implement the odd-even scheme, but had to call it off at the last moment as the NGT had struck down the exemptions given to women and two-wheelers.
Subsequently, the government had expressed its inability to implement the scheme due to inadequacies in the city’s public transport system.
Narain said that the Delhi government had decided to go ahead with the plan without EPCA’s approval. The EPCA was not in favour of its implementation as pollution levels were expected to dip and secondly, it was against exemptions.