Air quality of Delhi nosedives with withdrawl of the odd-even exercise

#oddeven #airquality #delhipollution A check of the quality of air in New Delhi has revealed that the first three working days after the end of the odd-even exercise saw rapid deterioration with levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) registering a jump of more than 57 per cent on the first working day itself. This analysis has been done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). It has said that Delhi has lost the air quality gains of odd and even scheme and the delayed winter will make pollution worse unless suitable steps are taken to sustain the gains.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 22 January 2016.

CSE has urged the Delhi government to immediately roll out its plan for the remaining part of the winter season and take action to reduce traffic volume on a more sustained basis so that public transport can perform more efficiently as was witnessed during the odd-even week.
Other steps that could be considered are - quick augmentation of bus and metro, stronger enforcement on diversion of truck traffic, closure notice on coal-based Badarpur Power Station power plant and serving notice to further advance implementation of Euro VI emissions standards for vehicles.
In the words of CSE, the gains of odd and even scheme were immediately lost after full traffic was back on the first Monday after the scheme came to a close. This was further aggravated by lower wind speed. On January 18, the PM2.5 levels shot up by 57 per cent within the day and once again rose to 'severe' category.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Delhi government collects Rs 2 crore as fine from violators of the odd-even scheme

#oddevenplan #kejriwal The odd-even scheme for controlling air pollution by controlling the number of vehicles on the roads of Delhi has brought in Rs 2 crore as fines from people who violated the norms - that is, they brought on road cars with even numbers on days earmarked for odd numbers and vice versa.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 15 January 2016.

The amount has been collected from the over 10,000 challans issued by the traffic police, transport department and Sub Divisional Magistrates to violators of odd-even scheme which has ended on Saturday. The scheme had been in force since January 1.
The Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDM) had challaned 5,582 motorists, while around 2,870 people were fined by the Delhi Traffic police for violating the scheme.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has heaped praise on the traffic police for their assistance in enforcing the odd-even scheme. The Government had stipulated Rs 2,000 penalty under relevant sections of Motor Vehicle Act for each violation of the restrictions. It had rolled out on January 1 and was in force between 8 AM to 8 PM during weekdays.
It may be recalled that the Delhi government has already announced that it will provide subsidy on purchase of cycles, from the money collected as challans during the implementation of period of odd-even scheme. With the pilot scheme of odd-even over, the government will now constitute a committee to work out further modalities of the idea of bicycle subsidy.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Delhi plans to give subsidies for purchase of bicycles for clean environment

Encouraged by the response to its odd-even strategy on vehicles to curb pollution and have a clean environment, the government of Delhi is planning to give subsidy for purchase of bicycle. While seeking to promote cycling in the national capital, Delhi government has indicated that it will provide subsidy on purchase of cycles - the money collected as challans during the odd-even scheme's implementation period would be used to finance the scheme.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 9 January 2016.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai has indicated that once the car-rationing pilot plan is wrapped up, the government will constitute a committee to work out further modalities of the this proposed idea of bicycle subsidies.
He has also said that there are no cycle tracks on main roads in Delhi. However, the government appeals to people to use bicycles wherever possible -like in their colonies and mohallas where they can easily ride them and where the possibility of road accidents are also less.
Instead of using motor bikes and scooters, people could go in for using bicycles for their small household works like buying milk or local shopping.
It may be recalled that in order to cut down air pollution in the city, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has implemented a 15-day-long odd-even scheme, which has come into force on January 1.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 16 December 2015.

The firm was founded last year in the western Canadian city of Edmonton but began to sell the product in China less than two months ago with the first shipment of 500 bottles of fresh air being sold out in four days. This has been indicated by Moses Lam, co-founder of Vitality Air. Another 4000 bottles are on their way to China and most of that shipment is already sold out.
It seems Moses Lam has admitted that he started Vitality Air as a joke when he and Troy Paquette, his co-founder, filled a plastic bag of air and sold it for less than 50p on the auction website eBay. Then, a second bag sold for US$160. Vitality Air sells bottled fresh air and oxygen across North America, to India apart the Middle East, but, China has quickly become its biggest overseas market.
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Worsening quality of air forces shutdown of Singapore schools

The quality of air in Singapore is affected as thick smog came in from forest fires on Indonesia's neighboring island of Sumatra and the administration ordered emergency closure of schools once air pollution reached "hazardous" levels. Singapore takes pride on its clean environment. The fire in Sumatra was an agricultural fire.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 24 September 2015.

The shutdown order would affect primary and secondary schools apart from kindergartens run by the ministry and special education schools. However, parents who cannot make alternative arrangements because of the short notice can continue to send their children to school and they would be accommodated in air-conditioned rooms.
Due to the smog, there were fewer people on the roads and those who came out wore face masks. Moreover, Pizza Hut suspended its delivery service.
In the opinion of the National Environment Agency, the haze situation could become worse because of the prevailing winds.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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