Odd-even scheme: Can't risk women's safety, says Delhi government in response to NGT

The Delhi government on Monday moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking modification of its November 11 order refusing to exempt women and two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme to tackle pollution.

The application, filed before a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar, said it may affect the safety of women. It sought that exemptions be allowed for one year till the government procures 2,000 buses for public transport to carry the lakhs of commuters.

"The implementation of the scheme will cause great hardship to two-wheeler owners. This may also put women drivers at risk," the application, which is likely to be heard on Tuesday, said. "In case, women drivers are not included in the exempted list, there may be a likelihood that such women passengers do not find themselves comfortable while travelling in heavily crowded public transport buses," it added.

The NGT had on November 11 given a conditional nod to the AAP government's decision to implement the odd-even scheme for five days from November 13, but ordered that no exemption be allowed to any person or officer and two-wheelers. Resultantly, the Kejriwal government on Saturday scrapped the plan, which it had slated to start from Monday.

The NGT, in its order, had said the odd-even scheme should be implemented without default as and when PM (particulate matter) 10 level goes above 500 ug/m3 and PM 2.5 level crosses 300 ug/m3 during a span of 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court empowered Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) suggested that plying of diesel vehicles be banned and thermal power plants be shut when pollution breaches 'emergency' levels in Delhi-NCR, as part of a fresh set of recommendations to strengthen the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

In its submission to the apex court on Monday, it also pitched for stickers on vehicles reflecting fuel and age so that based on the level of pollution, certain categories of vehicles can be prohibited from hitting the roads. The recommendations form part of EPCA's assessment of GRAP's implementation this season and its learning from the smog episode which prompted it to enforce a series of emergency measures.

Union environment minister Harsh Vardhan said there has been an improvement in air quality in Delhi-NCR due to efforts made by implementing agencies. He said with the present trends, it is expected that decline in PM levels will continue and air quality is likely to fall back in the severe category.

"Pollution levels had skyrocketed by the hour in Delhi on Sunday, turning the air quality hazardous, which agencies consider unfit for inhalation even by healthier people. There has been a decline in PM10 values from 712.1 to 566.6 micrograms and PM2.5 levels from 480 to 385.7 micrograms," he said.