Delhi unveils moves to fight pollution
Print Edition
PRIVATE vehicles will only be allowed on Delhi’s roads on alternate days from January, authorities said yesterday, as the capital tries to curb choking levels of pollution.
The Delhi government will also increase public transport in the city and shut down a coal-fired power station in the state, said chief secretary KK Sharma.
“Particularly in winter, when the pollution is high, we will implement for some time odd and even number vehicles operation,” he said after an emergency meeting of the state government to discuss the crisis.
“We will make effort to start it from January 1.”
There are already over 8.5 million vehicles on Delhi’s roads and 1,400 new cars being added daily, contributing to some of the worst pollution in the world.
Several Chinese cities have slapped limits on car numbers because of congestion and pollution, but it is the first time the Indian capital has implemented such a measure.
Successive Delhi governments have faced flak for failing to clean up the city’s filthy air, ranked as the worst in the world by the World Health Organization.
The decision to curb private cars came two days after India’s environmental court ordered the Delhi government to draft a strategy to fight the smog that has settled over the city in recent weeks.
Delhi’s air worsens in winter as residents light fires to stay warm and as cooler air and clouds trap pollutants.
But unlike Beijing, which also suffers from hazardous haze levels, New Delhi does not issue public health warnings.
Courts have been pushing authorities to act, including ordering a toll tax on thousands of diesel-guzzling trucks entering the city every night.
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