Delhi-NCR pollution: Govt mandates 50 per cent work from home under GRAP IV

People in Delhi protest against rising air pollution. FILE PIC

The Delhi government has directed private offices in the national capital to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent staff physically present at workplaces, with the remaining employees required to work from home, in view of GRAP Stage IV restrictions due to severe air pollution. However, exemptions have been granted in certain areas including public and private health establishments, transport, sanitation and emergency services.

According to an advisory issued by the Labour Department, the direction follows amendments made by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after hearings and consultations held in November. It said the decision was taken to curb vehicular movement, which significantly contributes to air pollution, particularly when air quality levels are very poor.

Shut toll plaza: SC

Taking a serious note of the severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a slew of directions and asked the NHAI and the MCD to consider either temporary closing or relocating the nine toll plazas at borders of the national capital to ease usual massive traffic congestion.

The top court described the pollution crisis as an "annual feature" and called for pragmatic and practical solutions to tackle the menace. The MCD was specifically directed to take a decision within one week.

Ban on vehicles

The Delhi Traffic Police and transport department's enforcement teams will be deployed at petrol pumps and borders as a ban on entry of non-BS VI vehicles registered outside Delhi kicks in from Thursday. Vehicles without a valid pollution under control certificate will not be provided fuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from Thursday.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh had announced that all vehicles below the BS-VI category and registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the city when GRAP III and IV are in place. Automatic number plate recognition and on-ground checks will be conducted to verify PUCC status and emission category of vehicles.

Compensation to workers

Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday announced '10,000 in compensation for construction workers rendered unemployed due to the pollution-battling GRAP III and GRAP IV measures.

AQI ‘very poor'

The national capital's air quality remained in the ‘very poor' category on Wednesday morning, with an AQI of 328, even as smog blanketed the city. Out of the 40 air quality monitoring stations recorded, 30 were in the ‘very poor' category, with Bawana registering the poorest air quality of 376. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good', 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory', 101 to 200 ‘moderate', 201 to 300 ‘poor', 301 to 400 ‘very poor', and 401 to 500 ‘severe'.

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