Next time, Odd-Even will be implemented without exemptions, Delhi to NGT

NEW DELHI: The next edition of the odd-even plan in Delhi will make no exceptions even for women, the Arvind Kejriwal government has said in an anti-pollution action plan submitted to the National Green Tribunal amid a massive controversy over Lankan cricketers complaining of discomfort and wearing masks during matches in the capital.

The government had announced the odd-even rule of rationing cars when pollution in the capital peaked last month, and thick smog enveloped the city, sparking a health emergency. But the green court objected to exemptions given during the previous two editions the past year, to women, two-wheelers, vehicles carrying children in school uniforms and VVIPs.

The Kejriwal government then cancelled the plan with a minister saying: "We cannot compromise on women's security."

On Wednesday, the government said it would comply with the tribunal.

The government has also pledged to stop all construction if pollution levels touched the "severe" category, and ban the entry of trucks into Delhi.

But the green court had harsh words for the government and noted that not a single First Information Report or FIR had been filed in connection with pollution. "The government only talks about challans (prosecution slips)... but nothing is reflected on the ground," the tribunal said. "The Delhi government has not followed the promises it made."