New Delhi: Delhi witnessed yet another dawn with a blanket of toxic air on Wednesday, as the national capital recorded an AQI of 426 in the “severe” category, which followed the coldest night of the season in the city so far.
In view of high air pollution, half of the staff in Delhi government offices will work from home, while private organisations have been urged to follow suit. The police have also imposed a complete ban on storage, manufacture and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers in the city. The combination of falling temperatures and dense smog has worsened the situation, further reducing visibility and exacerbating health concerns. Residents have reported eye irritation, respiratory discomfort, and other health issues.
A senior government officer said that essential services such as healthcare, sanitation, public transport, fire services, law enforcement, power supply, water treatment and emergency response operations will continue to work in full capacity to ensure public services remain unaffected.
Nearly 80 departments and different agencies in the Delhi government, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, employ approximately 1.4 lakh people.
In a post on X, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said 50 per cent of the staff in government offices will work from home. He also urged private offices, industries and businesses to implement similar measures to help mitigate the city's air pollution crisis.
Mr Rai suggested that private entities consider shifting office hours to begin between 10.30 am and 11.00 am to reduce vehicular congestion during peak hours. “Adjusting office timings will not only ease traffic pressure but also curb vehicle emissions,” he said.
The environment minister said that a meeting was held today at the Delhi Secretariat, involving government departments and representatives from industry associations such as CII, ASSOCHAM and FICCI. “The purpose was to discuss the implementation of a 50 percent work-from-home policy in government, as well as private offices,” he noted.
After detailed discussions, it was decided that all Delhi government offices, except those providing essential and emergency services, will adopt a 50 per cent work-from-home policy, the Delhi minister said.
“Total 18 essential services such as medical care, solid waste management, public cleaning and sanitation, community and public toilets, fire services, power and water supply, etc, notified under the essential and emergency services, will continue to operate at full capacity to avoid any inconvenience to the public,” he said.
To address vehicular pollution, the government has advised companies with a large workforce to arrange shuttle bus services for employees, similar to the measures the Delhi government has implemented for its own staff.
“We are continuously working to reduce pollution levels and today's decisions are part of that effort. We hope the situation improves in the coming days,” Mr Rai said.
The minister also criticised the BJP-led governments in neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, for “failing” to take adequate measures to control pollution.
“Delhi is surrounded by BJP-ruled states and their lack of proactive action is affecting us. I urge them to participate in these efforts to combat pollution, just as the Delhi government is doing,” Mr Rai said.
The city has been under Stage IV restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan since Monday. These restrictions include a ban on construction and demolition activities, curbs on diesel vehicles, school closures and a prohibition on the entry of diesel-powered medium and heavy goods vehicles into Delhi, except those transporting essential goods. Industrial operations contributing to air pollution have also been restricted.
