With Air Quality having deteriorated further after Diwali in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the government will implement the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme if the air quality index (AQI) reaches ‘severe plus’ (450 or above)

Rai claimed that the firecrackers burst in the city on Sunday night for Diwali came from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. “If there had been a ban in UP and Haryana, this wouldn’t have happened. In all three states (UP, Haryana and Delhi), the police force is under the BJP,” Rai said.

Although the Supreme Court does not think odd-even is really a practical method of tackling pollution.

PM10 and PM2.5 levels soared in several parts of the city Sunday night as firecrackers were set off in defiance of the ban. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI deteriorated from what was a figure of 212 (in the ‘poor’ category) at 11 am on Sunday to 301 (in the ‘very poor’ category) at 10 am on Monday. It’s expected to reach ‘severe’ category on Tuesday.