I have been living in Delhi for almost two decades now. And so I call Delhi my home. And naturally I share with Delhi's achievement. shame and hurt. It has not been difficult to identify myself with Delhi because Delhi does not really 'belong' to anyone as it is so with other cities. Mumbai belongs to the Marathis, so to speak; and Kolkata to the Bengalis; and Chennai to the Tamilians. However, Delhi does not have any particular group of people who 'exclusively' own it; anyone who settles down can call it home. That is the plus point of Delhi.
Prior to 2000, the quality of air was bad. There were so many private buses (in blue colour) that were not very commuters friendly. They made traffic system chaotic and were the worst polluters. Eventually they got phased. CNG run buses were then introduced. Yet they were not there in great numbers and getting CNG itself was a big hassle. Unlike today there were no air-conditioned buses;fly-overs were not that many. Thanks to Shiela Dikshit government. Metro train came to rescue Delhi traffic system. Traveling time was reduced and people could avoid travelling in over crowded Delhi buses, which was particularly very annoying during summer.
With economic condition getting better, more cars have been added to Delhi's road each day. Whether the air quality was getting worse primarily because more cars are on the road each day or whether it was due to something else, there has definitely been the need to do something about the air quality in the city. Given the deteriorating condition, the government policy to introduce odd-even formula is a very good news. As a citizen of Delhi, this policy does cause inconvenience. I cannot just take my car anywhere any day I want. For example, the other day my wife, my two children and I got seated in the car to go somewhere in the evening. As I started the engine, it struck me suddenly that my odd numbered car was not supposed to be driven that day. So we dropped the idea and came back into the house. It was difficult trying to explain to the little children why we dropped the idea specially when they were looking forward for a ride. Office goers too have to carpool or use public transport system or use two-wheeler.
But the traffic on the road is how comparatively less congested than other days. The volume of vehicle on the road has drastically come down. How effective is this scheme in curbing pollution is to be seen. Yet I think the inconvenience is worth given that travel time has now come down. People are now more serious about the harmful effect of breathing bad air. This odd-even scheme may not achieve so much in improving the air quality. But it is still an effort worth reinforcing. with other schemes. To that end, more trees should be planted. People should avoid buying SUVs unless it is need driven. I seriously wonder how many people buy SUVs in Delhi out of need. I can understand if one is living in hilly terrain! Using public transport system should be encouraged. Purchasing big cars or additional car as a status symbol must be avoided. If all these different ideas are taken together, it will be like drops of water in a mug; and they can effectively address the issue of air quality in the city.
Someone filed a case in the Court saying that odd-even scheme violates his right to drive his cars. In a way it does. But the children of this same person also have the right to breathe clean air and so do my children. And when rights come into conflict this way, one must see which right should take precedence. And in this situation, I believe the right to breathe clean air must take precedence over the right to drive around one's car everyday. Dragging the government to the Court over this odd-even policy is thus a bogus action.
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