Delhi govt holds meeting over odd-even scheme strategy

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot convened a meeting on Tuesday at the Delhi Secretariat to outline a plan for the implementation of the Odd-Even scheme in the national capital.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired an emergency meeting on Monday, where the decision to reinstate the ‘Odd-Even’ rules was made. After the high-level meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai announced the reintroduction of the odd-even scheme, which is scheduled to be in effect from November 13 to 20.

As part of the scheme, private vehicles with registration plates ending in odd numbers will be allowed to run on odd dates, and those with even numbers will be allowed on even dates, following the GRAP-IV stage guidelines. Furthermore, against the backdrop of deteriorating air quality, the Supreme Court took notice of the issue of stubble burning in Punjab.

The Court emphasised that stubble burning should not become a political issue and must be stopped. The Court stated that it expects immediate action to halt stubble burning and requested that the Punjab government address this issue. A panel of Justices, including Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia, noted that political battles should not persist perpetually and emphasized the need to halt stubble burning.

Additionally, the top court directed the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to immediately cease stubble burning.Regarding the Supreme Court’s directives on pollution, Gopal Rai mentioned that the Delhi government will follow the Court’s orders. He also highlighted that pollution is a regional issue affecting North India and called on all governments to work together to address and mitigate pollution.