The Delhi government will only move forward with implementing the ‘odd-even car rationing’ scheme after the Supreme Court’s order on November 10, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai informed on Wednesday.

On November 7, calling schemes like ‘odd-even’ to tackle air pollution issues mere ‘optics’, the apex court directed the Delhi Government to control the entry of orange-tagged vehicles in the city.

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Earlier, in a bid to curb the rising pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi government on November 6 announced that it has decided to reintroduce the odd-even scheme in the city a day after the Diwali festival, from November 13 to 20.

The scheme was last enforced in the city in 2019.

Under the scheme, a traffic rationing measure, vehicles with registration numbers ending with an odd digit will be allowed on roads on odd dates while those with an even digit on even dates.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Rai said the Delhi government is preparing a report based on two studies that have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of the ‘odd-even vehicle’ policy in reducing air pollution.

The Delhi Environment Minister said the policy will be implemented from November 13 only after the Supreme Court’s order. “We will submit our report on the ‘odd-even vehicle’ scheme to the Supreme Court on Friday. Whatever the court decides, we will apprise the Lieutenant-Governor and then move forward,” Rai said. He also said the transport department has been asked to prepare a comprehensive report on App-based taxis coming to Delhi from bordering states.

“The court has ordered that we stop taxies coming from outside Delhi and ban orange-tagged vehicles. We will comply with the directions,” Rai added.

The court on Tuesday further said a large number of taxis in Delhi have registrations in different states that carry only one passenger.

The court asked that these should be monitored so that only Delhi taxis ply during the current period.

The top court also directed the Delhi government to monitor and to ensure that Municipal Solid Waste is not burned in the city or in the open during this time period when GRAP IV is in place.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the hazardous air quality in the national capital and directed that farmers should stop stubble burning forthwith in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, saying it was one of the major contributors to air pollution.

Further, the top court noted that smog towers installed as per an earlier order are not working and directed the government to ensure they are repaired.

The top court also asked the chief secretaries of the states to hold a meeting either physically or by Zoom on the pollution issue.

“Eminent Secretary should call for a meeting tomorrow, whether physically or via Zoom. All stakeholders will connect to ensure that we have a better picture and some redemption by Friday,” the apex court said yesterday.

The Delhi Environment Minister on Wednesday chaired a meeting of all concerned departments to ensure compliance with the instructions given by the Supreme Court yesterday regarding pollution.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi were also present.

Prior to the meeting, Rai said that the AAP government will follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court on Delhi pollution.

“The Supreme Court has given its observations of what needs to be implemented in Delhi and we have called for a meeting with the concerned ministers and officers so that we can implement whatever instructions Delhi has got. The SC has given the order to end stubble burning in whichever state it has been happening,” Rai said.