Since The Odd-Even Scheme Began, Delhi Pollution Has Actually Gone Up By 50% #Shocking

The people of Delhi did not fail Odd-Even, but Odd-Even may have failed Delhi.

The good people of the capital city were largely compliant to Odd-Even, motivated by a heavy 2000 Rupee fine (or the fear of losing their license), and tactics like handing out roses and clicking pictures of violators. This, despite reports of autorickshaws illegally charging extortionate amounts, cab companies citing a 4X surcharge on their services, and shoddy last-mile connectivity.

However, Odd-Even hasn't been the winning formula Delhiites were lead to believe

Two different organisations have confirmed what skeptics of the Delhi's government car rationing program Odd-Even have always believed - it has NOT brought down pollution levels. Smog is back to Delhi, bringing trapped particulate matter to the Capital¡¯s sinuses, forcing people to breathe a air ranked as ¡®Severe Health Hazard'.

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A weather official told that average level of microscopic particles PM 2.5 and PM 10, which can enter the bloodstream via the lungs, reached 296 and 479 micrograms per cubic metre ¨C a ¡®safe¡¯ ranking is 60 and 100 respectively.

50% rise in pollution levels during week 1 of Odd Even

Most of our #breathe devices in Delhi show 'poor' to 'very poor' conditions. See more: https://t.co/7G70Dz8gmC pic.twitter.com/EFv11wHVna

¡ª IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) January 10, 2016

Independent portal IndiaSpend, which has installed low cost sensors across the city, said that pollution levels in Delhi "rose 50 per cent" during the first week of the odd-even measure over the previous week (December 25 to December 31).

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Even if some blame can be put on additional factors like temperature, wind-speed and increased moisture, the larger fact that Odd-Even is a failure is now proved. "It is likely, though, that the odd-even measure introduced by Delhi government might not, in itself, be adequate," IndiaSpend said.

Or, in simple words, the Delhi government didn¡¯t consider that you can¡¯t control nature.

"The pollutants are not getting dispersed due to calm wind. Visibility also came down to less than 50 metres in the morning due to fog. It also trapped pollutants.¡±a senior India Meteorological Department official said.

So why are people reporting good news?

People showing data of Delhi Pollution rising! WTH hell dudes? Havent you seen the mahaul in Delhi? Data is for patsies! Odd Even rules!

¡ª bwoyblunder (@bwoyblunder) January 8, 2016

According to the official report submitted to the High Court, particulate matter levels began to fall from January 1, based on Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), data. However, National Air Quality Index (NAQI) which tracks data from 8 Delhi-basd monitoring stations found that there have been zero declines in air pollution. ¡°This past week, when the weather has been more hostile than in November and December, the peak levels have been less in comparison. Though, average pollution levels have increased,¡± said Anumita Roychowdhury, the head of CSE's clean air campaign told the Hindu.

And since people keep posting anecdotes, here¡¯s one from Delhi: with numbers.

At a prominent south Delhi mall, Amit Kumar takes his hand-held pollutant measuring device and walks out onto the open courtyard; the digital meter shows figures for PM 2.5 that are in the range of about 350. Kumar is an employee at Nirvana Being a store that sells designer pollution masks and air quality measuring instruments. Pointing to the numbers flashing on the instrument, Kumar told an ET reporter, "See there is no significant difference in the air quality. If anything, the traffic jams have reduced on account of the odd-even scheme," he says. This is why it appears as of now that although the scheme was started to control air pollution, much of the support for it has come because of the fact that it has helped decongest the city roads.

Odd-Even, is clearly a haphazardly thought out response to Delhi's biggest pollution crisis, after years of doing nothing to control it.

This fire near Ghazipur landfill adding to air pollution worth 100s of #OddEven cars! pic.twitter.com/c7eM7RHVyQ

¡ª Pankaj Pachauri (@PankajPachauri) January 5, 2016

Almost a year ago, we had revealed that the Kejriwal government had made it easier for small and medium industries to pollute, completely ignored that garbage fires is how so many of Delhi¡¯s jhuggi colonies stay warm night after night, and of course, ignored the environmental impact of allowing pretty much anyone to scratch out a home in any part of Delhi, even if the city¡¯s lungs, its trees have to be chopped down. And of course, dust - road dust accounts for about 35% PM 2.5 in the air, according to a recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.