The Supreme Court expressed its skepticism regarding the effectiveness of Delhi’s odd-even scheme in addressing the city’s air pollution crisis, deeming it as nothing more than a superficial measure. The remarks were made during a hearing on Tuesday.
The odd-even scheme involves restricting vehicles with odd and even registration numbers to alternate days, allowing them to ply on the roads. However, the Court questioned the scheme’s past performance, suggesting that it served primarily as a symbolic gesture.
“Have you evaluated how it worked in previous years? Such schemes are only optics,” the Court remarked.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia also noted that the air quality situation in the National Capital Region would have been more dire if the metro railway system had not been in place.
“An issue is extreme weather conditions. God knows what would have happened if the Metro was not there. Though point-to-point connectivity is still an issue,” Justice Kaul commented.
The Court urged the Delhi government to take steps to regulate the entry of “orange-tagged” vehicles (polluting diesel cars) and taxis from other states into the national capital.
The Court’s discussion took place during an application concerning air pollution in Delhi within a broader context of various environmental issues. In the same hearing, the bench emphasized the need to halt the practice of stubble burning by farmers in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, as it significantly contributes to air pollution in the northern regions, including Delhi.
Stubble burning refers to the practice of farmers setting fire to straw stubble that remains in the fields after the harvest of grains like wheat and paddy.
The Court also pointed out the inconsistency in the government’s stance, as it promotes millet cultivation on one hand but allows paddy farming to deplete groundwater reserves in Punjab.
The case is scheduled for its next hearing on November 10
