NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities said on Wednesday that app-based taxis from other states would not be allowed to enter Delhi as air quality worsened in the Indian capital.
"The transport department has been asked to ban app-based taxis with registrations outside Delhi from entering the capital city as ordered by the Supreme Court," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said.
Rai said in a video statement that the Delhi government would also present two studies before the court on the efficacy of the car rationing scheme known as the "odd-even" formula.
"We have decided to submit the report of two mega studies available with us, a joint study by the Harvard and Chicago State University in the U.S. and one by the Delhi Technical University, on the odd-even formula to the Supreme Court on the next date of hearing," he said.
The top court has questioned the effectiveness of the "odd-even" formula to curb pollution and referred to it as "optics".
"With respect to the decision of implementing the odd-even formula from Nov. 13, now a call will be taken to implement it only after the Supreme Court reviews its effectiveness and issues an order," Rai said.
The Supreme Court said on Tuesday that the burning of crop residue in neighbouring states was a key factor behind the massive spike in Delhi's air pollution every winter and asked local governments to take steps to stop stubble burning.
Air pollution in Delhi has been in the "severe" category level over the past few days, and authorities shut down schools and suspended local sports tournaments and events. ■