Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
GRAP, Primary System for Management air pollution During winter, it classifies air quality into four stages: Stage I (poor, AQI 201 to 300), Stage II (very poor, AQI 301 to 400), Stage III (severe, AQI 401 to 450) and Stage IV (severe plus, AQI above 450).
AQI in Delhi has reached dangerous level 425. Under GRAP, if the air quality deteriorates to Stage IV, it is classified as ‘Stage IV’.Serious Plus’ With an AQI above 450, state officials may consider additional emergency measures.
These may include closing colleges and educational institutions, suspending non-essential business activities and, importantly, implementing the odd-even scheme.
Under this scheme, private vehicles are allowed to ply on the roads only on alternate days.
What is odd-even scheme?
The odd-even scheme, introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the leadership of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was first implemented in 2016. It was also implemented in 2017 and 2019. The objective of the scheme was to curb vehicular pollution by restricting the movement of private vehicles based on the last digit of their registration number.
On odd dates, only vehicles with registration numbers ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 are allowed to ply on the roads, while on even dates, vehicles with registration numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 can ply on the roads.
The odd-even scheme was one of the measures adopted by the previous Delhi government to deal with the recurring pollution crisis.
Kejriwal’s efforts were recognized internationally. Fortune magazine listed him among the world’s 50 greatest leaders in 2016 for his initiatives to curb pollution in New Delhi.
“When Kejriwal unveiled a blueprint to deal with smog in new delhi– It was called the world’s most polluted city by the World Health Organization – many people were skeptical. A key component: an ‘odd-even’ pilot project in which vehicles were allowed on the roads only on alternate days. “Positive results of the pilot this January: roads were less clogged, hourly air pollution concentrations dropped by 13%, and citizens could breathe deeper,” the publication noted.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Odd-Even
Earlier this year, in June, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had refused to restart the odd-even scheme citing inconvenience to the public. In response to a question he asked, “What if a family only has one vehicle at home?” And said that policy decisions should reflect the needs and realities of the citizens of Delhi.
At present, the odd-even scheme is not effective as Delhi’s AQI is not more than 450. If pollution levels worsen and the city enters Stage IV (‘Severe Plus’) with an AQI above 450, authorities may be forced to impose measures.