Government, private offices to function at 50% strength in Delhi amid worsening pollution
Delhi air pollution: The air quality has kept deteriorating in Delhi-NCR since October. On Monday, the overall AQI in Delhi was hovering near the 'severe' category mark after it settled at 382.
The Delhi government on Monday ordered that all government and private offices in the national capital will function with 50 per cent staff and the rest will work from home amid the worsening air pollution in the national capital region (NCR). The direction was issued as part of the Graded Response Action Plan level 3 or GRAP-3, which was implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
"All administrative secretaries and heads of departments will attend office regularly, with not more than 50 per cent of staff strength physically present in the office. The remaining will work from home," the order read. "All private offices functioning within Delhi will operate with not more than 50 per cent staff physically attending the workplace. The remaining staff will 'mandatorily' work from home."
The air quality has kept deteriorating in Delhi-NCR since the beginning of October due to multiple points, including stubble burning, vehicular pollution and reduction in windspeed. On Monday, the overall air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was hovering near the 'severe' category mark after it settled at 382. However, in some places, it had crossed the 400-mark, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
As per the Decision Support System (DSS) of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Maharashtra's Pune, vehicular pollution contributes to 21.6 per cent of overall pollution in the city-state, while stubble burning contributes to 1.8 per cent. Vehicular pollution, the report said, is the highest contributor to Delhi's worsening air quality.
Because of the pollution, a protest was also organised at the India Gate on Sunday. However, it turned violet after some protesters, when asked to vacate the site for ambulances and other facilities, clashed with police and allegedly used pepper spray on them and were even seen raising slogans in favour of Maoist leader Madvi Hidma. This forced the police to arrest 22 demonstrators, who now have been sent to judicial custody by the Patiala House Court in Delhi.