The National Green Tribunal on September 18 refused to entertain a plea challenging the decision of the AAP government to implement the odd-even road rationing scheme in the national capital from November 4-15. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel questioned the maintainability of the plea and "dismissed it as withdrawn".

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Plea dismissed 

"Under which law of the land is this plea maintainable," the bench said.

The plea, filed by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, said a CPCB assessment of the impact of the odd-even scheme on air quality of Delhi had found that ambient air quality of the city was more deteriorated during its implementation earlier than when the restriction was not in place.

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Odd-Even scheme 

Under the scheme, odd and even-numbered vehicles ply on alternate days. It was implemented in Delhi during January and April of 2016. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 13 had said the odd-even scheme was part of the seven-point 'Parali Pradushan' (pollution caused by crop stubble burning) action plan that also includes mass distribution of anti-pollution masks, mechanized sweeping and water sprinkling on roads, tree plantation, and special plans for 12 pollution hotspots in Delhi.

"At a time when country's top environmental pollution control boards like Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee has unequivocally stated that odd-even policy, when implemented in the year 2016 failed to curb the air pollution menace, stand of government of Delhi to implement the odd-even policy merely on a study done by people of other countries is not only unpleasant but also downgrades the reputation of institutes like CPCB and DPCC," the plea said.

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It sought directions to the Delhi government to submit the studies done by foreign countries on the basis of which AAP government has decided to implement the odd-even policy and sought constitution of a committee senior scientists to check the veracity of the study. The CPCB in its report in 2016 had told the NGT that there is no data to suggest that odd-even scheme has any impact on the decrease in vehicular pollution and the fluctuations in PM10 and PM2.5 is due to weather and change in wind patterns.

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