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All government and private offices in Delhi were on Monday directed to restrict physical attendance of employees to 50%, with the remaining workforce required to mandatorily work from home, as air pollution levels remain high.
The order, issued by the Department of Environment and Forests, followed an advisory from the Commission for Air Quality Management.
“Since vehicular pollution would cause extensive air pollution and release harmful air pollutants particularly when air quality is very poor…it is felt that there needs to be more curbs on vehicular movement,” the directive noted.
It asked all private offices to introduce staggered working hours where possible and limit office commutes.
Similar directives were also issued to government departments. However, administrative secretaries and heads of departments were allowed to call in staff as required to “ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential and emergency public services”.
Essential services, such as health establishments, fire services, prisons, public transport, electricity, water supply, sanitation, disaster management, municipal services and agencies involved in air pollution control and enforcement, were exempted from the directive.
On November 7, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that employees of the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi would follow staggered working hours from November 15 to February 15.
This came as Delhi's average air quality has stood at the higher end of the “very poor” category in November despite restrictions to curb pollution. Since mid-October, the air quality in the national capital has dipped to “poor” or worse categories.
Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world's most polluted capital.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, vehicular pollution, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.
On Saturday, the Commission for Air Quality Management revised the Graded Response Action Plan schedule to introduce measures such as staggered work hours, expanded public transport and work-from-home options as part of Stage 3 restrictions that have been in place since November 11.
The Graded Response Action Plan is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
Restrictions under Stage 3 otherwise entail a ban on non-essential construction work and the closure of stone crushers and mining activities, in addition to the measures already imposed under Stage 1 and Stage 2.
They also include the shifting of primary school up to Class 5 to hybrid mode. Parents and students have the option to choose between offline and online classes wherever available.
Additionally, the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars is restricted in Delhi and the NCR. BS norms, or Bharat Stage Emission Standards, are regulations set by the Indian government to control air pollutants from motor vehicles.
On Friday, the Delhi government directed all schools in the national capital to suspend outdoor activities in November and December in view of the health risks the deteriorating air pollution levels could pose to children.
The Air Quality Index in Delhi on Tuesday morning stood at 363, placing it in the “very poor” category, showed the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board, at 7.06 am.
In areas adjoining the national capital, Noida recorded an AQI of 390, placing it at the higher end of the “very poor” category. Greater Noida also logged “very poor” air quality with an index of 396, while Ghaziabad reported an AQI of 348.
In Haryana, Gurugram registered an AQI of 311, placing it in the “very poor” category, while Faridabad recorded an AQI of 222.
An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and 100 indicates “satisfactory” air quality and between 101 and 200 indicates “moderate” air quality. As the index value increases further, air quality deteriorates. A value of 201 and 300 means “poor” air quality, while between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air.
Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”. An Air Quality Index in the “severe” category signifies hazardous pollution levels that can pose serious risks even to healthy individuals.
On November 18, the Supreme Court declined to impose year-round restrictions on activities prohibited under GRAP, holding that the national capital “cannot be brought to a standstill” in the name of fighting air pollution.
Also read: Why air quality numbers in Delhi vary widely
Source: Scroll
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