Speaking to the news agency, Kejriwal also said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government might reintroduce Odd-Even scheme in the national capital, if needed. “If the need arises, we will soon implement the odd-even scheme in the capital,” he said. The car rotation scheme was first introduced in Delhi in 2015 and enforced twice in 2016 between Jan 1 to Jan 15 and April 15 to April 30.
Under the scheme, vehicles having odd and even number plates are allowed to operate on alternate days in order to reduce the pollution level in a particular area. The odd-even scheme is a part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), emergency measures implemented in phases to combat air pollution.
On December 22, Delhi's air quality touched the 'severe' category follow which the pollution level was recorded its second highest this year with an Air Quality Index or AQI of 450. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered to be under control, 51 and 100 as satisfactory, under 101 and 200 as moderate, under 201 and 300 to be poor, between 301 and 400 as very poor and between 401 and 500 as severe. Anything above that is considered as hazardous.
Even the state-run SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) has claimed that overall air quality in the national capital will remain severe till Tuesday due to unusually stagnant and cold air. Delhi comes under the category of worse cities of the world for its air pollution levels. In a health advisory, the SAFAR has asked Delhiites not to rely on common dust masks for protection.