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

The odd-even vehicle rule will be implemented after four years in Delhi, which has been battling 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 on weekends.

The odd-even rule will be applicable from November 13 to November 20. Last time this Rule was implemented in 2019. It aims to reduce pollution from vehicles. It includes registrations ending with odd or even numbers on alternate days. Vehicles will be allowed to come on the road. Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai told a press conference, “Odd-Even scheme will be implemented in Delhi from 13-20 November. This can help in reducing the emissions from vehicles.” Earlier, Rai had written a letter to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav requesting to ban the entry of such vehicles in the capital which do not follow BS6 norms.

Under this rule, two-wheelers and cars with even numbers on their registration plates are allowed on the roads on one day and odd numbers on the other. 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 main reason for the bad air quality in Delhi and its surrounding cities is the burning of stubble in the fields after harvesting the crops in Haryana and Punjab. Earlier, some experts had argued that the odd-even rule does not help much in reducing pollution. A study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board about four years ago found that the pollution level had reduced a bit before and after the odd-even rule, but there was no major reason behind it. This rule is implemented to control pollution in big cities of some countries around the world. These include cities like Beijing, Paris, Mexico City and Rome.