Pollution: According to a recent statement made by the chairman of the Environment Pollution Control Authority, private cars may soon be stopped from running on the roads in New Delhi if the quality of the air deteriorates. Bhure Lal, Chairman, Environment Pollution Control Authority, told news agency ANI that plying of private vehicles will be stopped is pollution worsens while adding that public transport will remain active. Air quality in Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) on Tuesday saw a major deterioration with a significant rise in Particulate Matter (PM) levels.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 3 pm was 401, falling in the ‘severe’ category, the highest this season. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
According to a Times Now report, these measures were announced at a high-level meeting held on Monday between the Lieutenant Governor- Anil Baijal and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government to curb the air pollution.
Besides this proposal, Supreme Court-appointed body EPCA earlier proposed stopping construction, brick kilns, use of diesel power generators, and burning of garbage starting from 1st November to 10th November – a period which is expected to see a rise in pollution.
Application of the odd-even rule was for long mulled upon if the air pollutant levels worsen around Diwali. But now, the government is gearing up for an overall ban on private vehicles. Detailed provisions of the rule, if applied, have not been made known yet.
While under the odd-even rule, cars were rationed based on their odd or even license plate number and it also had provisions and exemptions, the new rule is more of a blanket ban to control PM levels in the air in and around the national capital.
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