Kejriwal Govt on Acid Test for Toxic Air Control ; Odd &Even numbered vehicles to ply on alternate days from Jan 1,2016

Delhi Government decision to allow plying of limited number of Vehicles on the capital’s road from  New year may soon be a template for other  big cities battling with pollutants laden Toxic air ,but to ensure such an  ambitious plan  does  not end up  in a fiasco, adequate safeguards must be initiated soon.

The Government plans to implement the odd and even number plates formula from January one but before that all stake holders must be taken on the board  for full proof implementation.

 ( Informatively,Beijing has issued its first ever red alert for smog on Monday ,asking schools to close down and slapping restrictions on factories and curtailing city's vehicle's fleet to half. Reading of PM2.5 particles shot up to 300 micro grams per cubic per meter on Monday vis-a vis-the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of tiny and poisonous particles at 25.) 


The state government headed by Arvind Kejrwai will have to work in tandem with Union Government as police machinery has to be  involved in a big way,and any hotchpotch may result into street fights among commuters if they spot “wrong vehicles on the wrong day”. Every one will come under a scanner.

 

The slate for running of Vehicles of odd and even number of vehicles has been announced but no concrete action plan – as to how it will be implemented in the most populous and sprawling national capital- which has more than 90 Lakh vehicles and 1500 new cars add up to the city’s car fleet every day is unfolded so far.  Tens of thounsands number of cars enter the capital every day from neighboring cities,many of them carrying patients.

The government must be leap into 24x7 action to ensure adequate number of government buses on streets .whether such a big fleet  is available at its disposal – is a big question. Millions of people virtually jostle each other in various areas to catch the buses and board metro trains. 

The Metro department has to increase frequency  of its service during peak office timings –both in morning and evening.

If  the scheme is implemented successfully, it will certainly mitigate air pollution across the capital and many other big cities  which also reel under such poor air quality-like Kolkata, Mumbai,Gwalior, Raipur, Kanpur  may implement same. It might be a blessing in guise as it will certainly increase usage of the public transport in many ways and state governments  would not be left with any option other than improving the public transport. 

Right now,Public transport is not available in far flunged areas and bus stands spectacle is really pathetic.

The Public transport is in shambles in majority of cities as burgeoning population of private vehicles had reduced its utility at least for upper middle classes.

As per the plan,Odd-numbered vehicles will be allowed to ply on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while even-numbered vehicles will run on the other days - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The state government’s assertion that they don’t care which car belongs to whom  has raised many questions  whether the formula  will apply to the senior bureaucrats private vehicles too.

It is certain that 2016 is all set to start with lot of confusion as central government employees, who come by their own cars to meet, deadlines of timings on biometric attendance machines,are at loss about the morning hours chaos.

Emergency vehicles like PCR van, fire tenders, ambulances on the roads of the national capital. As per the schedule, even-odd formula would also be applicable on all ministers and bureaucrats in Delhi.

The Kejrwail government has advised people to send their  suggestions on pollutionfreedelhi@gmail.com.

In next step,the government  will also check rampant use of generators by companies in the capital. In a breather,The Government has assured that the scheme  would be dropped  in 10-15 days if people faced problems.

  PHOTO BY NEERAJ BAJPAI IN KOLKATA