Odd-Even Vehicle Rule Will Return in Delhi Next Week, Measure to Control Pollution

Odd-even vehicle rule will be implemented after four years in Delhi, which has been suffering from heavy air pollution for the last few days. The Delhi government has announced that this rule will be implemented after Diwali due to the increase in air pollution in the National Capital Region. The AQI in the capital had reached dangerous levels over the weekend.

The odd-even rule will be applicable from November 13 to November 20. This rule was last implemented in 2019. Its objective is to reduce pollution caused by vehicles. In this, vehicles with registration ending with odd or even numbers will be allowed on the road on alternate days. Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai told a press conference, “Odd-even scheme will be implemented in Delhi from November 13-20. This can help in reducing emissions from vehicles.” Earlier, Rai had written a letter to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav requesting him to ban the entry of such vehicles in the capital which do not comply with BS6 norms.

Under this rule, two-wheelers and cars with even last number on the registration plate are allowed on the roads on one day and vehicles with odd numbers on the next day. However, some vehicles are exempted from this rule. These include emergency vehicles, VVIP vehicles and electric vehicles. However, there is no specific data available to show that this rule helps in reducing pollution levels.

The major reason for the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and its surrounding cities is the burning of stubble after harvesting the crops in the fields in Haryana and Punjab. Earlier, some experts had argued that the odd-even rule does not help much in reducing pollution. In a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board about four years ago, it was found that the pollution level had reduced slightly before and after the odd-even but there was no major reason behind it. This rule is implemented in big cities of some countries around the world to control pollution. These include cities like Beijing, Paris, Mexico City and Rome.