Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday that the government of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) may consider implementing the odd-pair scheme in the national capital if other measures to control pollution fail.
“We have implemented the odd pair scheme many times in Delhi. It would be our last resort and we will think about its implementation if the rest of the methods to curb air pollution fail, “Rai told reporters.
Delhi’s air quality has already fallen to the poor category ahead of the winter season. On Sunday, the air quality index (AQI), a measure of ultrafine PM2.5 and PM10 particles suspended in the air, was 254, in the poor category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) .
Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 287 on Saturday.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) announced last week a ban on the use of fuel generators as of October 15 under the Graduated Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of anti-pollution restrictions that include preventive measures to stop air quality from deteriorating to emergency levels.
GRAP establishes a set of curbs that are applied when AQI crosses certain thresholds; the most serious include a trucking ban, restrictions on odd and even roads, curbs at construction work and a notice to close schools.
The Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), a body appointed by the Supreme Court charged with overseeing the implementation of the pollution control action plan in the National Capital Region (NCR), has said that GRAP will be enforced “without concessions” to any state.
Agricultural fires and firecracker emissions during Diwali result in high concentrations of PM2.5 particles, which can lead to significant health problems as they can enter the bloodstream after penetrating deep into the lungs.
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