Delhi HC to pronounce verdict on odd-even formula today

The Delhi high court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Monday on petitions challenging Arvind Kejriwal government’s 15-day trial of odd-even car scheme to tackle vehicular pollution and improve air quality in the Capital.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath had reserved the verdict on the controversial scheme on Friday.

The bench had asked the government if the data collected till date “was enough” to gauge the effectiveness of the policy.

“Why is it necessary to have it for 15-days...? Is there any better method which can be brought in?” the court had asked, while reserving its verdict for January 11.

While maintaining that the scheme had led to a “definite positive effect”, the AAP government had said last week it didn’t want to extend the scheme beyond January 15, 2016.

On Friday last, senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the Delhi government, had submitted a status report on data collected regarding air pollution from January 1-8 after the ambitious road space rationing plan was introduced.

He had defended the scheme, calling it a result of the “emergency” situation that has arisen because of the high level of air pollution in the city.

“There is a definite positive effect of the scheme and it has to be continued beyond this 15-day trial period,” Salve had said.

He had also submitted a report by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, which stated that pollution in Delhi this winter has been four times beyond the safety standard.

“There has not been a single good air quality day this winter. Pollution is not going to go away. The odd-even scheme is an emergency measure to arrest the peaking of the air pollution levels,” Salve had said, adding that the scheme had succeeded in arresting the upward trend in air pollution.

The AAP government had told the court that it was in the process of buying more buses to augment the fleet of the city’s existing public transport system.

The alarming pollution levels in Delhi have been making international headlines, while the judiciary has stepped in and forced authorities to adopt stringent measures.