World’s most toxic air forces Indian capital to restrict car use

NEW DELHI: India’s capital city will implement licence-plate based driving bans to restrict the number of cars on its roads as it battles to clean up the world’s most polluted air.

Cars with licence plates ending with odd and even numbers will run on alternate days for a week from Nov 13, as part of steps to help lower vehicular pollution, Gopal Rai, Delhi’s environment minister, said at a briefing today.

Heavy vehicles have been banned from entering the city with an exception for essential services, he said.

Delhi has been topping the chart of world’s most polluted cities for the last several days with the air quality index hitting hazardous levels. The provincial government has shut schools, halted construction and is encouraging the use of public transport.

Delhi has implemented temporary driving bans several times in the past to reduce pollution.

The country’s top court will hear a case over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality on Nov 7.

The governments of Delhi and its neighbouring states will inform the Supreme Court about the steps taken to tackle the pollution levels.