Delhi beats the odds on first day

Delhiites put their weight behind the most drastic anti-pollution measure conceived in India by largely embracing the odd-even scheme that kicked in on New Year's day, with experts saying the compliance on Day One had immediately led to a dip in levels of particulate matter in the air.

The private cars on the roads were overwhelmingly odd-numbered ones on Friday, helped also by the fact that it was a holiday. Most even numbered cars seen on the roads were covered by some exemption, leaving roads relatively free of traffic.

While the real test for the scheme will come on Monday, the first working day of the 15-day trial period, the city's response left the government ecstatic. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has staked a lot of political capital on the scheme, thanked



Delhiites and called it the start of a "movement".

An overwhelmed Kejriwal tweeted lines from a John Lennon song, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one."

Transport minister Gopal Rai was equally happy as he thanked not only citizens but also the Delhi Police for its help in implementing the plan. At least for the moment, Rai seemed to have forgotten his scraps with police commissioner B S Bassi in the run-up to the traffic trial.

The situation on the ground was certainly positive. The police and the transport department challaned only 145 violators. The transport department, which had enforcement teams out on the roads, also fined 140 autorickshaw drivers on the basis of 200 complaints received against them.