NEW DELHI, Nov 6: Post-Diwali, the odd-even rule will be back in Delhi and schools closures has been extended up to Class 11 for this week in view of the rising pollution levels, State Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.
All schools will be shut across the national capital except Classes 10 and 12 till November 10, the minister said. Currently, only classes up to Class 5 are suspended in view of the deteriorating air quality.
Rai said the Delhi government would implement the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, which has been the Arvind Kejriwal government’s flagship move in fighting pollution for the past few years, in Delhi from November 13 to November 20 to reduce air pollution. “From November 13 – November 20, odd-even will be implemented in Delhi. After studying the situation following the implementation, a decision will be taken on future actions,” Mr. Rai said while addressing a press conference. The announcement was made as a spike in air pollution is expected after Diwali, Mr Rai said.
The odd-even scheme entails allowing vehicles whose registration number ends in even digits to ply on even dates and those with odd last digits to ply only on odd dates. Mr Rai also said to prioritise the health of schoolchildren, the government has decided to suspend in-person classes in all schools, except for students of grades X and XII preparing for board exams.
Delhi remains wrapped in a thick blanket of toxic smog for nearly a week now, prompting authorities to stop entry of diesel trucks and ban construction activities in the city under Stage-4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The ban on BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles will also continue, said Mr Rai, elaborating other measures taken by his government, including banning crackers and installing smog guns. The need to extend the odd-even rule beyond November 20 will reviewed later, the minister said.
Air pollution in Delhi continued to be in the “severe” category on Monday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. On Sunday, as the air quality was in the “severe plus” category, a slew of measures including a ban on entry of trucks into Delhi, with some exceptions, was declared by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).
The CAQM also directed that State governments may consider additional emergency measures such as an odd-even vehicle rationing system based on registration numbers. The bans were part of “stage 4” measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of emergency measures to control air pollution.
The overall air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 488 on Monday morning in Delhi, much above the upper level set by the World Health Organisation. Some of the worst-affected areas included RK Puram (466), ITO (402), Patparganj (471), and New Moti Bagh (488). With the AQI hovering around 500, the quality of the air that people are breathing in Delhi and neighbouring cities is equivalent to smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day.
(Manas Dasgupta)