HC seeks reply of Maha, MPCB and others on odd-even rule PIL

The Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra Government, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), state Ministry of Environment and 3 others to file their response to a petition seeking introduction of odd-even rule for private cars on Mumbai roads on the pattern adopted in Delhi.
A bench of Justices V M Kanade and Reveti Mohite-Dere asked the respondents, including state Ministry of Environment, Regional Transport Office and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), to file affidavits by February 9.
As per the odd-even pattern, vehicles with registration numbers ending with even figures and those with odd numbers would run on alternate days respectively.

The public interest litigation, filed by Sadaab Patel, contended that the residents of the mega-polis are facing health problems due to air pollution caused by carbon monoxide emitted from vehicles and by burning and other ways of disposal of solid waste by the civic body.
Recent studies conducted by experts show that the pollution levels are steadily rising and hence there is a need to introduce the odd-even rule for private vehicles on roads, the petitioner contended.
Counsel for MCGM, Anil Sakhare, sought time to address the court on the issue. Advocates Armin Wandrewala and Ravi Gadagkar appeared as intervenors.

The petitioner contended that Mumbai, which has lesser number of vehicles than Delhi, tops in vehicular emission due to congested roads, lack of space to expand because of sea coast and rising number of diesel vehicles.

The PIL said that Delhi implemented the odd-even traffic pattern because of poor air quality. A similar exercise should be undertaken in Mumbai also to bring down the air pollution levels, it said.
To begin with, the odd-even rule could be implemented in Mumbai for 15 days, the petition said and prayed that a committee be formed to adopt this pattern on a permanent basis.

Currently, vehicles belonging to police, ambulance and fire brigade do not arrive in time when their help is sought in a situation of emergency. By introducing odd-even pattern, movement of such emergency vehicles would become faster, said the petitioner.
Along with these petitions, the high court would also take up hearing a notice of motion pending since 1999. The motion was taken out in a petition filed by Debi Goenka of Bombay Environmental Action Group about a scheme proposed in 2004 to restrain vehicles by 20 per cent on any day in a week.
The Maharashtra government had then said that this scheme cannot be implemented.

It would have to take a stand now when the notice of motion comes up for hearing on February 9.