In September, when the Delhi government announced that it would ration roads for private cars over a 12-day period in November, the national capital was enjoying an unusual spell of clean air. But when the odd-even policy kicks in on November 4, it will be, for all practical purposes, an emergency measure. On Friday, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority declared a “public health emergency” in Delhi. Road rationing will be accompanied by other anti-pollution measures, including a ban on construction activity in the capital. However, given the importance attached to vehicular pollution in the discourse on the capital’s air quality, the Delhi government will be watched for the way in which it implements the odd-even policy.
The AAP government will have to coordinate with the other environment management bodies in the capital — the EPCA, National Green Tribunal and Central Pollution Control Board — as well as the agencies responsible for the management of the capital’s transport facilities. Its past record is underwhelming. In 2017, for example, the implementation of road rationing was stalled at the eleventh hour because the Delhi government and the NGT could not agree over exemptions to two-wheelers. The Kejriwal government had stated then that the shortfall in Delhi’s public transport did not allow it to extend the policy to two-wheelers. The national capital’s public transport fleet continues to fall well short of the city’s requirements, two years later. The government has proposed to rope in private bus operators. However, private operators have not shown much interest in operating their vehicles under the Delhi government’s public transport rubric.
