As Delhi’s air quality continues to be in the “severe” category, the Delhi government has directed schools to suspend physical classes, barring classes 10 and 12, until November 10 and reintroduced the odd-even scheme from November 13-20. “The scheme has been enforced in Delhi before. On odd dates, vehicles with registration numbers ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be allowed to ply. On even dates, vehicles with registration numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 will run,” Environment Minister Gopal Rai said. Based on pollution levels over the one week when the scheme will be implemented, further decisions will be taken, Rai added. The decision was taken considering the likelihood that pollution levels will rise after Diwali, Rai said at a press conference. A forecast indicates that the wind speed could be around 12 kmph on Tuesday, and if wind speed improves over the next two days, the hope is that accumulated pollutants will disperse, he said. The odd-even scheme is recommended under Stage IV, or the “severe plus” category, of the Graded Response Action Plan, which kicked in on Sunday. The scheme was introduced by the AAP government in 2016 to deal with vehicular pollution. Delhi’s air quality remained in the “severe” category on Monday, with the AQI being at 429 at 1 pm. Rai pointed to measures that have already been taken in the city, including deployment of mobile anti-smog guns, road sweeping machines and water sprinklers. Other measures that kicked in under GRAP Stage IV are a ban on Delhi-registered diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles except for those providing essential services, trucks except CNG/electric ones and those carrying essentials, light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi except for electric/CNG/BS-VI diesel vehicles and those providing essential services, and ban on all construction and demolition activities, including linear projects like highways and roads. A senior transport department official said the modalities around the implementation of the scheme would be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday. Sources said one of the main aspects which the meeting would revolve around would be extending the implementation of the scheme beyond the November 13-20 period.
