Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal government has withdrawn its decision to implement odd-even rule from Monday after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) refused to grant an exemption to two-wheelers and women.
Speaking to the media, Delhi’s Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot said that the state government will file a review petition in the NGT urging it to exempt the 2-wheelers and women.
“There are around 60 lakh commuters in Delhi who uses the bike. The absence of 30 lakh bike from roads will make transportation system chaotic”, Kailash Gehlot said.
Earlier on Saturday, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave its nod to Arvind Kejriwal government’s decision to implement the third phase of the odd-even rule on Delhi roads in the wake of sudden rise in air pollution.
However, the NGT refused to give any relaxation to two-wheelers from the rule. Earlier, the state government had exempted the 2-wheelers and CNG-run vehicles from the odd-even rule.
Before refusing an exemption to the two-wheelers, the NGT asked the government about reasons behind exemptions and the impact of pollution emanating from two-wheelers.
Not only the two-wheelers but women and government employees also won't be exempted from the odd-even rule.
The NGT also criticised the government for its late action in check the dip in air quality. It asked the government why it did not implement the rule as soon as the air quality started getting bad to worse.
NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the government whether the LG’s approval was taken for the implementation of the odd-even rule.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) told the tribunal that they had warned the Kejriwal government orally in advance about the impending problem.
However, the state government denied that it had received any such info from the CPCB.
The NGT on Friday had asked the Delhi government to submit before it the results of the earlier two phases of the odd-even.