Sikkim govt to implement odd-even scheme to ease traffic congestion

Gangtok, Oct 26: The Sikkim government will soon implement the odd-even scheme for both government and private vehicles in the state, officials said. Only the Gangtok Municipal Area more especially, the major National Highway between Mayfair Fatak and GICI, Zero Point will be subject to this limitation, an official said on Friday.

The goal of this project is to lessen traffic on the busy highway. The date of its implementation has not yet been disclosed by the authorities. According to an official letter from the State Home Department, high-ranking officials will be exempted from the rule, and officers at the level of the additional secretary and higher officials will receive red exemption stickers from the department's protocol section.

The letter said that officers who hold the level of Joint Secretary or lower position and may also require an exemption should submit their information by October 26 along with appropriate explanations for higher authorities to consider. Notably, Delhi was the first city to use the odd-even scheme in 2016. Using license plate numbers, the program bans cars from the road.

Private automobiles with registration numbers that finish in an odd number are permitted to travel on odd dates, while even-digit registration numbers are permitted on even dates. Reducing carbon emissions from non-electric vehicles, a significant source of air pollution, was the main goal of Delhi's odd-even scheme.

The Odd-Even scheme, which typically goes into operation during winter in Delhi due to severe air pollution, has been questioned by experts for its efficacy. An analysis of the Odd-Even scheme's results over the past five years has revealed that it mostly affects those who commute in their own cars rather than reducing Delhi's pollution.

According to Vivek Chattopadhyay, Principal Program Manager in the Centre for Science and Environment's Air Pollution Control Unit, Delhi's pollution levels began to rise in September. It is anticipated that by mid-October, the air quality may deteriorate due to shifting weather patterns and a lowering wind speed.

Chattopadhyay asserted that even if the government begins using the Odd-Even strategy to reduce pollution early on, there would be more issues and fewer advantages. He said that the Odd-Even rule should only be applied in extreme cases where there is no other option. He added that this strategy should only be implemented for a brief time frame of four to six days.