The Delhi government’s odd-even scheme to curb air pollution has found new takers in the National Capital Region. The Rohtak administration replicated the scheme for autorickshaws last week after pollution levels in the city increased manifold to reach the ‘severe’ category. And now, even the Gurugram administration is willing to consider the idea.
Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri told The Hindu that the scheme could be implemented in the Millennium City as well in future with an improved public transport system in place.
With rise in instances of stubble burning, the Air Quality Index in neighbouring Rohtak breached the 400 mark in the first week of November, forcing the district administration to shut schools for two days. “It was then decided at a high-level meeting to implement the odd-even formula at least for autorickshaws to keep pollution levels in check,” said DSP, Rohtak Traffic, Mahesh Kumar. Subsequently, the scheme was implemented to regulate the movement of autorickshaws on November 7 and 8.
Divided opinions
The district administration and the autorickshaws’ union, however, differed on the usefulness of the scheme. While Mr. Kumar claimed that it brought down the pollution levels considerably, Haryana Pradesh Autorickshaw Kalyan Sangh’s Rohtak president Vicky Pehalwan said there was hardly any impact and the plan needed to be extended to all vehicles for any plausible result. Rohtak resident and former CPM State secretary Inderjit Singh termed the implementation of the scheme a “cosmetic” measure. He said that Rohtak needed intra-city bus system and e-rickshaws to curb pollution and traffic congestion. Rohtak has around 7,000 autorickshaws, mostly diesel-run.
Not missing the opportunity to score a political point, Haryana Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Sudhir Yadav said implementation of the odd-even formula in Rohtak was in a way a vindication of his party’s policies by the BJP. “It’s strange that their leader Vijay Goel calls it a gimmick in Delhi, but his own party implements it in Haryana,” said Mr. Yadav.
