The odd-even scheme had brought down the number of vehicles on the city roads and helped in easing the traffic flow during the fifteen days trial of the ambitious pilot project.
However, the statistics on pollutants in the air during the trial prepared by different agencies showed no significant changes in the quality of city air. There were marginal drops during morning hours but the air quality became worse by the evening. The aberrant weather aided by windy conditions did play a pivotal role in bringing down the level of pollutants.
If we take the data of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5, prepared by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), a pollution and weather monitoring unit of Ministry of Earth Science (MoES), the value of harmful pollutant oscillated between 121 to 289 (µgm-3) during odd-even scheme in past fifteen days. The high concentration of PM-2.5 kept the city air as ‘severe and hazardous’.
However, initial data of National Air Quality Index (NAQI) of SAFAR indicated that the AAP Government’s experiment made a little difference to air quality but the pollution data from January 4 to January 8 (280 -225) (µgm-3) had showed that imposing ban on odd/even numbered vehicles that caused a mere 5 per cent pollution, did not make actual difference on the mass concentration of primary pollutants.
Ecologists, health experts and Indian Metrological Department (IMD) scientists said that rise or fall of the values of pollutants was dependent upon the unusual weather conditions, “Though exposure to harmful vehicular emission was less during odd -even but de-facto is wind speed and high temperature to reduce the levels of PMs in atmosphere,” said a senior official of IMD.
SAFAR data indicated that there was sharp decrease in the value of PM 2.5 remarked on January 9 which was 121 µgm-3. “Although value was tranquil but still deteriorating,” the official said further.
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) which measured air quality and traffic volumes at five important locations in the city said that the air pollution levels “increased” in the first week of January and in the second week too. The CEEW works in collaboration with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
“There is no conclusive evidence to prove that the odd-even policy improved Delhi’s air quality or reduced traffic congestion. On the basis of data collected from low-cost air pollution monitors, indicates that the average air pollution levels increased in the first week of January as compared to the previous week,” said CEEW report.
The monitoring station of US Embassy at Chanakyapuri area in, New Delhi showed the air quality as hazardous. The Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) of the last fifteen days found it dangerously high. The mass concentration of PM 2.5 in New Delhi embassy area, Shadipur, Civil lines, Anand Vihar and RK Puram was relatively higher as compare to December month.