NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- India's top environmental court National Green Tribunal (NGT) Friday directed local government of Delhi to submit studies on its planned odd-even car rationing formula starting from next week.
"The odd-even formula can't be imposed like this. Nothing has been done from your end for the past one year," the top environmental court said while slamming the Delhi government.
The green panel questioned the logic of the Aam Aadmi Party (common man's party) government in putting the traffic restriction plan into action when reports by pollution control boards last year found that the levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 were cumulatively higher during the implementation of such plan on two earlier occasions.
The court also questioned the justification of exempting two-wheelers and women drivers during the odd-even formula.
The local government in New Delhi Thursday announced it would roll out the "odd-even" formula from Monday to Friday.
The decision to impose the formula was made in wake of rising air pollution levels in the national capital.
Under the arrangement, private cars with odd registration numbers are allowed to run on odd dates while even-numbered cars would run on even dates.
Since Tuesday morning Delhi was covered with thick smog, following which health officials issued advisory to elderly and children to avoid venturing out.
All schools in Delhi, adjoining areas and Punjab were closed until Sunday in view of the pollution.
The entry of trucks except those carrying essentials has been banned into the national capital, construction work was also suspended.
The deadly smog leads to breathlessness and lung difficulties, and affects visibility.
Delhi is considered to be the most polluted city in the world. Last year the city's high court described the capital as "gas chamber".
Air pollution is a leading cause of premature deaths in India. Pollution in Delhi gets aggravated during winter months, as farmers burn agricultural waste to clear the cropland, deteriorating the already heavily-polluted air.
