50% Of Delhi Government Employees To Work From Home Amid Severe Pollution

Wed Nov 20 03:52:34 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Government Implements 50% Work-From-Home Policy Amidst Severe Air Pollution Crisis

**New Delhi, November 20, 2024** – The Delhi government today announced a 50% work-from-home policy for its employees in response to the severe air pollution crisis engulfing the national capital. The move comes as the Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently surpasses 450 in many areas, triggering Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the most stringent pollution control measure.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced the policy, stating that a meeting with officials will be held at 1 PM today to implement the work-from-home arrangement across government offices. This follows the recent implementation of staggered office timings for government offices and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Further measures to combat the hazardous air quality include a ban on BS-IV and older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles (MGVs and HGVs) in Delhi, excluding those providing essential services. A similar ban is in place for BS-III petrol vehicles. Schools for classes 10-12 have also been temporarily closed to protect students.

While the Delhi government explored cloud seeding as a potential emergency measure last year in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, and preparations for this year began in August, a meeting to discuss its implementation is yet to be held. The severe air pollution continues to pose a significant health risk to Delhi’s residents.