New Delhi : As severe air pollution continues to grip the national capital, the Delhi government announced that 50% of its staff will work from home today. This decision comes as air quality levels in Delhi-NCR have exceeded the “severe” category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently rising above 450 in many areas.

In response to the hazardous pollution levels, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the strictest protocol for air quality management, has been activated. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai confirmed the decision, stating, “To reduce pollution, 50% of employees in government offices will work from home. A meeting to discuss the implementation will be held at 1 pm today in the Secretariat.”

In addition to the work-from-home directive, the Delhi government recently introduced staggered office timings for both government offices and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). A ban on BS-IV and older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles (MGVs and HGVs) registered in Delhi has been enforced, except for those providing essential services. A similar ban applies to BS-III petrol vehicles as well.

To protect students, schools for Classes 10 to 12 have been temporarily closed, minimizing exposure to the unhealthy air. Last year, the Delhi government had partnered with IIT Kanpur to explore cloud seeding as an emergency measure, although preparations for this year’s operation have yet to be finalized.