Odd-even won't help, Centre ready to step in: Nitin Gadkari on Delhi pollution

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said Centre is ready to help Delhi government in tackling pollution, adding that odd-even car rationing scheme is not going to help.

“The Delhi government should add electric buses in its transport fleet if it wants to curb pollution. The Centre is ready to help in every possible way,” Gadkari said in a letter to Union environment minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

In the letter, Gadkari suggested forming a panel of experts before deciding a course of action to combat pollution in Delhi. “The odd-even scheme is not going to help,” Gadkari said.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments on the petition on stubble burning and dust pollution.

Stating that it's an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities.

The Delhi High Court had on November 9 issued a slew of directions to improve air quality of Delhi.

Calling it an "emergency situation", the high court had asked the government to consider the option of "cloud seeding" to induce rainfall artificially, as an immediate step to bring down the dust and particulate matter in the atmosphere.

It had directed the Delhi government to seriously consider a ban on further construction in the city to the extent possible and implementing the 'odd-even' vehicle usage scheme as a short term measure.