Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clarified on Friday that the odd-even scheme, which came into force on New Year’s Day, will not be implemented permanently. He said the rule will be brought into force only when pollution levels spike in the city, PTI reported.

“This will go on till January 15. Then we will stop it and reassess. Nowhere in the world is the scheme enforced permanently. It is practically not possible. Whenever pollution levels spike, this is used as a weapon,” he said.

The chief minister added that the restrictions may be imposed for a few days in the next two to three months if air quality deteriorates again. He also believes that the implementation of the scheme was “quite successful” and that people in the national capital had accepted the restrictions with an open mind.

The odd-even rule came into effect at 8 am on January 1. Only private cars bearing odd-numbered registration plates were allowed to ply on the city's roads. Violators were fined Rs 2,000 under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.