Air quality continued to remain “very poor” in Delhi on Saturday, the second day of implementing the odd-even policy, even though the Delhi government claimed that pollutant levels showed a “marked decrease,” PTI reported. In a statement, the government said particulate matters less than 2.5 microns in size, PM 2.5, measured in 24 locations in the city ranged between 121 to 226 micrograms per cubic metre, lower than the 250 recorded the same day in previous years. Their statements were contradicted by The Energy and Resources Institute, which said pollution levels were worse than that on December 31 and exceeded prescribed limits.

The institute found that the average 24-hourly value of PM 2.5 at four locations was 5.1 times higher than safe standards. TERI, however, admitted it is too early to correlate changes in pollution levels with the odd-even scheme.

The hourly average released by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research did not show any spike in pollution levels after 2 pm, recording values around 190 micrograms per cubic metre till 6 pm. Indian authorities consider air quality to be “’very poor” when particulate matters range between 120 and 250.

The Aam Aadmi Party has pushed heavily for the odd-even rule, also instructing its own MLAs to raise awareness on the issue. Party MLA Alka Lamba has been criticised for sharing a photoshopped image as her Facebook profile picture on Saturday, in an attempt to promote the scheme, Hindustan Times reported. The image showed her holding up a placard that read “Dilli ka hai ghut ta dum, milkar karein pradushan kam (Delhi is suffocating, let’s join hands to reduce pollution).” It soon attracted attention from her followers, who pointed out that the picture was taken at an event of AAP’s student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, during Delhi University student body elections last year.