In an effort to combat the worsening air quality in Delhi, the city's government has announced that it will enforce the "odd-even" car rule from November 13 to 20, 2023, immediately after Diwali and this scheme aims to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion by limiting the number of privately owned cars on the road. Here's how it works:
- Odd and Even Dates: During the specified period, vehicles with license plates ending in an odd digit will be allowed to ply on odd dates, while those ending with an even digit will be permitted on even dates.
- Exemptions: While all privately owned cars are included in the scheme, there are exceptions. Vehicles running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be exempt from the week-long odd-even rule.
This is not the first time Delhi has implemented the odd-even scheme. It was previously enforced in 2016, 2017, and 2019 as a temporary measure to address air pollution, particularly during the winter months when pollution levels tend to rise and the primary goal is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road to mitigate the city's air quality issues.
Additionally, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has already implemented Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on November 5, which restricts the entry of heavy trucks into Delhi and bans BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel cars in response to the consistently severe air quality index (AQI) in the city and these measures are part of a comprehensive approach to tackle air pollution and improve air quality in the region.