With the air quality in Delhi and NCR getting worse ahead of winter, the city government has said it may bring back the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme in the capital.
In a letter written on Wednesday, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot directed the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to gear up for implementation of the odd-even scheme -- under which private vehicles with odd registration numbers will be allowed to run on odd dates and those with even numbers will run on even dates.
Weekends and public holidays are exempted from the vehicle rationing scheme.
The Minister also directed DTC to "chalk out an action plan for procurement of buses/conductors and submit the same within seven days".
"With the increase in pollution level in Delhi the government may have to resort to emergency measures, including implementation of odd-even scheme," the letter read.
"It is, therefore, essential that the Transport Department/DTC/DIMTS are fully geared up for implementation of the scheme as and when the same is announced," it stated.
Starting November, parking charges to go up in Delhi
The scheme to curb Delhi's toxic air was introduced first on January 1, 2016. The second phase was rolled out on April 15 that year. Violators were fined Rs 2,000 on the spot.
The air quality has been worsening in the capital. On Thursday, the average air quality index was "poor" even as most areas in the capital reeled under "very poor" and some suffered "severe" air pollution levels.
