NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday issued a directive requiring both government and private offices in the city to operate with only 50 per cent on-site staff, with the remaining employees mandatorily working from home.
The decision, issued as part of emergency curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III, comes amid worsening air quality, with AQI levels crossing 400 in several parts of the national capital.
The move also follows Delhi L-G VK Saxena’s recent approval of staggered office timings for GNCTD and Municipal Corporation of Delhi establishments, aimed at reducing peak-hour congestion and vehicular emissions. Authorities have said vehicular pollution remains a major concern during high-pollution periods.
“As per the order, all GNCTD government offices must ensure that not more than half their staff is physically present. Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments may summon additional personnel only when essential to maintain emergency and public services,” read the circular issued last evening by the Department of Environment & Forests under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Private offices across the city have also been instructed to cap attendance at 50 per cent, with the remainder of the workforce mandatorily working from home.
They have additionally been asked to introduce staggered work hours, enforce strict work-from-home systems, and minimise vehicular movement linked to office commutes, which authorities say is a major contributor to emissions during severe pollution episodes.
The fresh curbs follow the Commission for Air Quality Management’s amendments to the GRAP schedule after Supreme Court hearings on 17 and 19 November in the M.C. Mehta air pollution case, followed by stakeholder consultations on 20 November. As part of the revised framework, a measure earlier listed under GRAP Stage IV, allowing offices to operate at half strength, has now been shifted to Stage III for quicker intervention.
Essential services have been exempted from the cap. These include hospitals, health establishments, fire services, prisons, public transport departments, electricity and water utilities, sanitation bodies, disaster management units, and agencies involved in pollution control or enforcement.
As per the directions, the order is effective immediately and will remain in force for the entire duration of GRAP Stage III. District Magistrates, Deputy Commissioners of Police, and local bodies have been instructed to ensure compliance across all private and government offices.
“Violations will attract penalties under Sections 15 and 16 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (which includes imprisonment up to five years, fines up to one lakh rupees, or both) in addition to other applicable laws,” the order stated.