New Delhi: The Delhi government has deferred the implementation of the odd-even scheme for cars till the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness in curbing pollution.
The AAP government had earlier proposed that it would implement the scheme from November 13 to 20 amid worsening air quality.
“An improvement is seen in the pollution level. The AQI which was 450+ has now reached around 300. The decision to implement odd-even from November 13 to 20 has been postponed. The situation would be analysed again after Diwali,” Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said.
Overnight rain led to a visible improvement in Delhi’s air quality on Friday morning after more than a week of hazardous pollution.
At 7 am, Delhi’s AQI stood at 408, improving from 437 at 4 pm on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted a marginal improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali owing to favourable meteorological conditions, including light rain.
The odd-even vehicle rationing system of the Delhi government has made a comeback in view of the worsening air quality in the national capital. According to Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai, the odd-even scheme will be reintroduced for a one-week period from November 13 to November 20. This decision was taken after a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal – attended by Rai, ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, and officials of the concerned departments.
