Environmental groups welcome Delhi's controversial car ban

New Delhi

ENVIRONMENTAL groups on Saturday lauded the Delhi government's move to drastically reduce the number of private vehicles on the capital's roads in a bid to clean up the city's notoriously toxic air, as a political row erupted over the controversial decision.

According to the new measure passed on Friday, private vehicles will only be allowed on the capital's roads on alternate days starting in January. The Delhi government also vowed to improve public transportation, shut down a coal-fired power station and start vacuuming roads to reduce dust.