New Delhi: Amidst escalating air pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi government has decided that 50% of its workforce will work from home today. This measure comes as air quality in Delhi-NCR reaches alarming levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently surpassing 450, categorizing the pollution as “severe.”
To tackle the deteriorating air quality, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the strictest level of intervention, has been activated. Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai confirmed this step, stating, “To mitigate pollution, 50% of the staff in government offices will be required to work from home. We will hold a meeting at 1 pm today at the Secretariat to discuss the logistics of the implementation.”
In addition to the work-from-home mandate, the Delhi government has implemented staggered office timings for both state-run offices and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The authorities have also enforced a ban on BS-IV and older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles (MGVs and HGVs) registered in Delhi, except those used for essential services. A similar ban has been imposed on BS-III petrol vehicles, aiming to reduce emissions from older, more polluting vehicles.
To safeguard the health of students, schools for Classes 10 to 12 have been temporarily shut, ensuring that they are not exposed to hazardous air quality. Last year, the Delhi government had collaborated with IIT Kanpur to explore the possibility of using cloud seeding to tackle the pollution crisis. However, no final plans for the operation have been confirmed for this year.
As the city grapples with the effects of pollution, additional steps are being explored to mitigate the situation, including stricter vehicle controls and greater public awareness campaigns. Despite efforts to address the air quality, the government is facing challenges in curbing the pollution levels, which continue to threaten public health. With the rise of respiratory illnesses among residents, particularly children and the elderly, the need for comprehensive, long-term solutions has never been more urgent.
