Decision on odd-even plan today

NEW DELHI: Delhi, finally, has emergency measures in place to tackle pollution this season.

In a meeting attended by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday approved the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority’s decision to enforce measures enlisted under the “severe plus” or emergency category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

A decision on whether or not to implement the odd-even car-rationing scheme will be taken on Thursday, the EPCA said.

“The CPCB task force has advised EPCA that given the air pollution emergency in the city, there is a need to take action listed in severe plus category,” it said.

“We have already had two days of severe category of pollution. If the AQI continues to remain in the severe category even on Thursday, we recommended the EPCA to roll out the odd-even policy,” said A Sudhakar, member secretary of the CPCB.

The official said the pollution control body recommended making public transport free so that more Delhiites could take to mass transport. But no decision was taken on the suggestion of “free public transport”.

On Wednesday, PM2.5 levels crossed the “severe plus” categories. In some stations such as Lodhi Road, Delhi University north campus and Mathura Road, the level of this microfine particle rose to more than 20 times the safe standard.