Delhi divided over new government measure to save chocking city

New Delhi welcomed the New Year on Friday (January 1) with a car rationing measure aimed at reducing by half vehicular emission, one of the causes of air pollution in the Indian capital.

Known as the ‘odd-even’ initiative, private fuel-based vehicles with odd and even number plates are allowed to run only on alternate days for a fortnight beginning on Friday. Car rationing will not apply on Sundays.

Delhi’s Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the implementation of the initiative was a success.

“The experience so far shows that people in Delhi have adopted this measure whole-heartedly, it has become a movement and I am truly overwhelmed by the response that we have received so far. Residents in Delhi are amazing people and they have accomplished an almost impossible task,” Kejriwal told journalists.

But Satish Upadhyay, chief of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the step was hurried and flawed.

“We are not against this, we have to curb pollution, this is everybody’s problem. But it would have been better if he had discussed this problem with all stakeholders, all political parties and everybody and then they should have done a micro detailing about the implementation of this odd and even (measure),” Upadhyay said.

Buses and metro services were increased to assist local residents with the changes in New Delhi, rated the world’s most polluted city by the World Health Organisation.

About 200 teams of police officers, assisted by civil volunteers and enforcement teams, were also deployed across the city to fine errant drivers.

A fine of 2,000 rupees ($30.30) will be imposed on offenders and though vehicles will not be seized.

But the heavy fine did not deter some drivers with the wrong number plates from plying on roads on Friday.

Local resident Surendra Babu said the new measure would fail to tackle the issue of facilitating the smooth flow of traffic in Delhi.

“The even-odd measure will only add to people’s problems instead of benefiting them. Pollution levels cannot be reduced like this since most pollution is caused by construction work and traffic jams,” he said.

But some residents remain optimistic viewing the initiative as a much needed step in the chocking city.

“The real impact of this measure will only be established after Monday, when all offices re-open and people will be back on the roads. However, I feel this step should work and I agree with it. It’s a long time since we found a solution as Delhi is very polluted. It isn’t healthy for elderly people to breath, like me. And what will happen to the children?” Mahesh Mehta said.

The state governments of Delhi and neighbouring Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were asked on Wednesday (December 30) to take immediate action to prevent parking in non-designated areas, launch awareness drives and check overloading of vehicles, federal Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a statement.

A plan to fit particulate filters in diesel vehicles has been put into immediate effect.

The state governments have also been asked to promote battery-operated vehicles, enforce the ban on burning of agricultural waste and control dust pollution at construction sites.