Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today stated that now that the Delhi sky looks clear, there is no need to implement the odd-even scheme again. As per reports, the Delhi CM stated, as the sky has been looking clear, there is no need for the bizarre odd-even rule.
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Speaking at the press conference, Kejriwal asserted that the sky in Delhi has cleared up and there is no reason for the implementation of the odd-even scheme once again.
With the stated aim of reducing pollution and traffic congestion in the city, the Kejriwal government had introduced the first phase of the odd-even scheme on November 4. The scheme ended on Friday last week but there were speculations that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal might extend the scheme, considering the deteriorating air quality index in Delhi.
As per data by the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi witnessed 5 days each of very poor and severe air quality. The air quality index (AQI) on November 12 entered the severe zone (425) and has continued to worsen further.
The Supreme Court had earlier pulled up Kejriwal-led AAP government, questioning it on the rationale behind implementing the odd-even scheme and asking it to provide data on the air quality of the national capital during the period when the scheme was in force.
The apex court had rapped Delhi Government up terming the odd-even scheme as ‘half-baked’ solution that was incapable of having a salutary effect on Delhi’s environmental woes. It also questioned it on the rationality of exemption granted to the two-wheelers, three-wheelers and taxis from the odd-even scheme.
Casting aspersions on the central government’s intent on declaring Delhi’s tap water as most unsafe, Kejriwal contended that Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan did not reveal in the report from where the samples of the water were taken. He also added that 11 samples of water are not sufficient to judge a city’s water quality.
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A report by the national standardisation body of India, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), revealed that water quality in Delhi is the worst. 11 samples collected in Delhi failed in all 19 parameters set by the BIS for water quality. The samples were taken from 11 localities, including Paswan’s official residence at 12 Janpath and Krishi Bhawan in Lutyens’ Delhi, and areas such as Nandnagari, Sonia Vihar, Pitampura, Ashok Nagar and Burari.