Odd-even round 2, day 1: 500 offenders till 1 pm, air quality dips

The transport department Thursday announced it will tighten enforcement for the second phase of odd-even. To this end, almost 2,500 personnel will be deployed at 200 points of the city, with ex-servicemen assigned the task of patrolling inner streets.

Highlights

6.00 pm: An official in the IMD department said air quality has been moderate over the last twenty days although it dipped today owing to pollutants-laden wind blowing from the north west direction.

The real-time readings of SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stations had PM 10 (coarser than PM 2.5) as the prominent pollutant.

3.31 pm: Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai today said the response of the people was “positive” on the first day of the fortnight-long road rationing odd-even scheme.

“I have reports from all over Delhi that people are following the scheme. The final picture will emerge after we receive reports from different departments,” Rai, who took a bus ride to assess implementation of the scheme, told mediapersons.

3.25 pm:  Metro’s yellow line relatively less crowded today. A significant number of check posts were setup in south Delhi, including outside residential apartments in Alaknanda and Greakter Kailash.

3.00 pm: According to Delhi Traffic Police, 511 challans were issued till 1 pm and the highest number of offenders were from South and West Delhi.

Central range: 97
East range: 57
Northern range: 42
Outer range: 78
Southern range: 129
Western range: 108

1:10 pm: The government has prepared a plan to implement Odd-even scheme with deployment of 5,000 civil defence volunteers, 400 ex-servicemen and 2,000 traffic police personnel. It has also formed 120 teams of the enforcement wing of transport department which will prosecute those violating the odd-even rule with imposition of a fine of Rs 2,000 on errant car drivers.

1:05 pm: 2,000 officials of Delhi Traffic Police are being deployed on roads daily. The traffic department has identified 200 intersections in the city where their personnel have been deployed in teams, with their sizes depending upon the volume of traffic in those intersections.

12 noon: The pollution meter near the Delhi secretariat shows the air quality is satisfactory.

11:45 am: Transport Minister Gopal Rai says the DMRC has added two more trains, which would lead to increased trips during the implementation of the odd-even rule. He has also begun his inspection aboard the buses.

10:40 am: Look how the roads are on the first day of the second phase of the odd-even experimentation.

10:30 am: Former CM Sheila Dikshit has hit out at the AAP government saying the widows pension and salaries of class IV employees is pending, but the government is spending its funds on advertisements.

9:20 am: Transport Minister Gopal Rai says all need to think positively.

9:15 am: CM Kejriwal tweeted asking people to join hands and resolve to make the program a success.