Odd-even restrictions have to apply to two-wheelers and three-wheelers for the scheme to sucꦉceed, says a researcher at the New York-baꦯsed Columbia University, doubting its efficacy in the long run.
According tꦚo V Faye McNeill, associate professor of Chemical Engineering in the institute, the impact of the o♛dd- even scheme fizzles out eventually as drivers find ways around the restrictions.
This has been seen in megacities like Mexico City and Manila where the scheme was enf🐽orced in the past.
"Controlling emissions from transportation is very important, but in the long term I don't think that the odd- even scheme is going to be the answer," she told PTI in an email interview.
She said she had seen data indicating♛ that t🦩he odd-even traffic rationing scheme reduced PM2.5 "somewhat" (around 20 per cent) at peak traffic times during the January trials.
"However, as experi෴ences in other megacities such as Manila and Mexico City have shown, traffic rationing is not a viable long-term pollution or traffic reduction measure, because drivers find ways around the restrictions," she said.
McNeill, an expert on atmospheric aerosols, said 🧸air doesn't obey city, state, or even na🦩tional boundaries, so emissions need to be curbed at a regional level as well as locally, citing the examples of Los Angeles and Mexico City with similar tendencies towards stagnant air like Delhi.
Assessing the previous two rounds of the car ration✨ing scheme in Delhi, the researcher observed that the pilot phase in January 2016 was more successful compared to the second round in April. The air is colder and more stagnant in winters, and the baseline pollution level is higher, which make any drop in pollution levels visible.
"Two-and-three wheelers, especially those with two-stroke engines that run on mixed fuel, are important sources of pollution and they shouldn't be missed in air quality policy. They should be included in the restrictions if there is any hope for the odd-even scheme to have an impact," Mc🌌Neill said.
It's logical for peop꧋le to use these forms of transportation if cars are restricte🍌d, she said, adding that they can be worse emitters than cars.
According to a landmark IIT-Kanpur study on Delhi's pollution, the share of truckꦑs and two-wheelers in terms of total vehicular pollution in the city is around 46 per cent and 33 per cent respectively. The share of four-wheelers is 10 per cent, it estimates.
McNeill said air pollution is "taking a toll on the health" of the ജcitizens of Delhi and the rest of I🙈ndia, referring to spikes in hospital admissions and deaths from cardio-respiratory disorders during air pollution episodes in the national capital and other Indian cities.
The Centre-notified Graded Response Acti💦on Plan (GRAP) is a "good start" in cleaning up the city's toxic air, she said, adding that🐻 without enforcement it will not be successful and more manpower is needed so that it is implemented successfully.
"The next level is to address the roots of the air quality problem and address them proactively and preventatively. This may require long-term investments in changing 𝔉energy and tr💎ansportation infrastructure," she said.
More investment in air pollution scien💎ce, and partnership between policymakers and scientists, ൲will be needed for this next step, the researcher added.
PTI
