Delhi government announces WFH for 50% staff as city reels under hazardous air

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday announced half of its staff and those of the MCD will work from home as the city continued to battle high level of pollution with a thick layer of smog over the city that choked residents and kept authorities on toes.

The Air Quality Index recorded marginal improvement -- coming down to 419 from 460 the previous day -- but it still was in the 'severe' category. The Delhi government announced that all its departments and MCD offices will work at 50 per cent capacity while the remaining staff will work from home under the fourth stage of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Addressing a press conference here, Environment Minister Gopal Rai urged private offices, industries and businesses to take similar steps to help mitigate the Delhi air pollution crisis . However, offices which are engaged in essential and emergency services will operate with full capacity.

The 24-hour average AQI, recorded daily at 4 pm, stood at 419 on Wednesday, down from 460 the previous day, while the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 494 on Monday. Out of 37 monitoring stations in Delhi, nine stations were in the "severe plus" category, with AQI readings exceeding 450, while 22 stations were in the "severe" category, with AQI readings above 400. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good’, 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', 401-450 'severe', and above 450 'severe plus'.

Also read Maharashtra Election 2024: State’s job scheme stumbles; just 21% apprentice placements in private firms

Delhi air pollution

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is expected to remain in the "severe" category on Thursday and Friday and improve to the "very poor" category on Saturday. The report states that shallow fog or smog conditions, accompanied by predominantly northwest surface winds with speeds ranging from 6 to 12 kmph, prevailed during the day. On November 21, northwest winds with speeds of less than 8 kmph are likely during the morning hours.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), all government offices under the Government of NCT of Delhi will operate with half of their staff present, while the other half will work remotely. Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments are instructed to ensure that essential services remain uninterrupted, with relevant officers attending the office as needed.

The order will remain in effect until Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is lifted. However, 18 essential and medical services departments, including healthcare, sanitation, public transport, fire services, law enforcement, power supply, water treatment, and emergency response operations, will continue to operate at full capacity to ensure public services remain unaffected.

Nearly 80 departments and different agencies within the Delhi government, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, employ approximately 1.4 lakh people. At 6 pm on Wednesday, the Central Pollution Control Board recorded the PM2.5 level at 211, making it the prominent pollutant. PM2.5 particles, which have a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (roughly the width of a human hair), can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing significant health risks, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, vehicular emissions contributed an estimated 19.6 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Wednesday. The daily contribution from stubble burning to the PM2.5 mass concentration in Delhi has been provided only up to November 18.

As of Monday, stubble burning contributed 19.82 percent to Delhi's pollution, but the data for Tuesday (November 19) has not yet been updated on the DSS website. Meanwhile, a recent survey has revealed that a staggering 75 per cent of families in the Delhi NCR region have at least one member suffering from a sore throat or cough.

The survey, conducted by LocalCircles, an online community platform, found that 58 per cent of the surveyed families reported experiencing headaches due to rising pollution levels, while 50 per cent had a family member dealing with breathing difficulties or asthma.