ENVIRONMENT// New Delhi has the worst air quality in the world, and with the winter setting in, cold air is making it difficult for the pollution to escape. With air quality so bad that anyone can get sick by just breathing the dirty air, the government of Delhi has decided to take some drastic steps to improve the city’s air. Starting January 1, 2016, for 15 days, only even number cars will be allowed on the roads on even number dates (such as January 2, 4, 6 and so on), while odd number cars will be allowed on odd number days. The number referred to is the car number plate. Women drivers, those driving with children below 12, CNG cars and a long list of VIPs will not have to follow the odd-even formula to be enforced. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be an exception in the VIP list. There are around 19 lakh private cars on Delhi’s roads. Thanks to this new plan, around 10 lakh vehicles will go off the roads, which may help reduce the pollution to some extent. Earlier this month, the chief minister had announced he, his ministers and all government officials would follow the odd-even scheme. The government plans to run 6,000 more buses to accommodate the potential spurt in passengers who can't drive their cars on a day.