50% Delhi Govt Staffers To Work From Home As Air Quality Remains ‘Severe’
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Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI): According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the national capital recorded an overall Air Quality Index of 424 as of 8 am on Wednesday
An anti-smog gun being used to spray water droplets to curb air pollution at Raisina Hills in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
Delhi Air Pollution : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government announced that 50% of its staffers will work from home on Wednesday as the national capital region continues to grapple with ‘severe’ air pollution.
Taking to X, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai wrote, “To reduce pollution, Delhi government decided to implement work from home in government offices. 50% of employees will work from home.”
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai tweets, “To reduce pollution, Delhi government decided to implement work from home in government offices. 50% employees will work from home…” pic.twitter.com/C7lJT27H4e— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2024
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 424 as of 8 am, placing it in the ‘severe’ category.
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As the pollution level continues to remain high, a thick froth of toxic foam continues to float in sections of the river near Kalindi Kunj and Okhla Barrage.
The residents of Delhi continue to raise alarms as air quality levels in many areas remain in the “severe plus” category in multiple areas.
Most of the sub-stations in Delhi, including Anand Vihar, Bawana, and Jahangirpuri, logged AQIs above 450.
At such high AQI levels, the air is considered hazardous to health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart conditions.
Amid ‘severe’ pollution in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a circular advising litigants and advocates in the apex court premises to ensure wearing masks and taking health measures.
Trains, Flights Affected
Visibility at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport decreased, causing delays for 79 flights and the cancellation of 6, as reported by Flightradar. Meanwhile, Indian Railways announced that 13 trains were running behind schedule and 9 trains had been rescheduled due to the smog in the capital.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city’s minimum temperature fell to 12.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, marking the lowest of the season, as cold northwesterly winds continued to affect the region.
Schools Shift To Online Mode
As the pollution levels remained high in the Delhi-NCR region, all schools and colleges switched to online mode.
Haryana’s Gurugram has suspended all classes up to Grade 12 from November 19 to November 23, or until further notice. In Ghaziabad, where the AQI reached 450, schools have been instructed to shift to online learning. Similarly, the district administration in Gautam Buddh Nagar has ordered schools to halt all in-person classes.
GRAP-IV Curbs Imposed
The latest readings come amid the enforcement of stringent anti-pollution measures in the national capital under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
These measures stipulate that no trucks will be permitted to enter Delhi unless they are carrying essential goods or using clean fuel, such as LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric power.
All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines, and other public projects, have been suspended.
