Pvt. vehicles with odd, even registration numbers to ply on alternate days to curb pollution

The Delhi Government has undertaken the job of tackling the menace of ever rising pollution in the national capital by announcing that private vehicles with odd and even registration numbers will be allowed on the roads of the capital only on alternate days starting January 1, 2016.

According to the announcement, if vehicles with number plates ending with an odd number can be driven one day, only those ending with an even number can be brought out the next day.

This will not apply to public vehicles.

Delhi Chief Secretary K.K. Sharma said extra DTC buses will be started and collaboration would be sought with the Delhi Metro to run more number of trains to manage the commuters who will not be able to drive down to their destinations.

"If needed, we will also hire more vehicles to meet the demand of transportation," he added.

Sharma also announced other measures to counter the increasing pollution in the capital.

"Trucks start at 9. This slows down traffic. We have found that active traffic in Delhi goes beyond 9. So, we will talk to the transportation department and try the movement of trucks at 11 or 10:30," he said.

"PWD to start an urban forestry project in Delhi to cover kaccha patches on roadways in effort to curb dust pollution," he added.

The announcement was made after an emergency meeting called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a day after the Delhi High Court said living in Delhi was like 'living in a gas chamber'.

Plans submitted by the Environment Ministry and the Delhi Government were 'not comprehensive', the judges said, because they did not specify responsibilities and a timeline.

The National Green Tribunal had earlier ripped into the Delhi Government for not acting 'seriously' on the menace.