Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced that half of the state government’s employees will work from home on account of severe pollution.
The national capital on Wednesday recorded an air quality index of 425, which falls in the “severe” category. On Tuesday, the city’s air quality index was above 450, or in the “severe plus” category.
At these levels, even healthy people can experience respiratory illnesses from prolonged exposure to air pollution.
On Monday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered staggered timings to be implemented for employees of the Delhi government and the city’s municipal corporation. Municipal offices were directed to be open from 8.30 to 5 pm, while Delhi government offices were directed to function from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
On Sunday, in view of worsening pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and the surrounding areas ordered the implementation of Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, across the National Capital Region.
This included a ban on trucks entering the national capital and a temporary halt on construction activities for public projects.
The GRAP is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent the further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the National Capital Region.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi government and neighboring areas in the NCR to continue enforcing strict anti-pollution measures under Stage 4 of the GRAP until further notice, even if the air quality improves.