Air pollution in Delhi has risen to the point where breathing has become difficult. As pollution levels continue to climb, the government has tightened the Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP stage III and approved work from home as a precautionary step. Acting on directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Delhi government issued a new advisory for private offices on Saturday. \
Under this, private workplaces have been asked to operate with 50 per cent staff on site and the remaining employees will work from home. The measure aims to ease the strain on the air quality situation.
Delhites urged to use the Green Delhi app
Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that under GRAP stage three the government is closely monitoring all pollution control measures and ensuring strict implementation. He urged citizens not to burn waste or biomass in the open, to remain alert regarding dust pollution and to register any complaints immediately on the Green Delhi app so that the administration can act without delay.
Continuous watch on pollution levels
Sirsa stated that during GRAP-III, the Delhi government is acting swiftly on all essential steps. He noted that the focus remains on clean air, public health and real time monitoring on the ground. He added that the government is keeping a constant watch on pollution levels and is taking necessary decisions promptly to improve conditions. Special attention is being paid to the safety of the elderly, children and other vulnerable groups.
Revised timings for MCD and Delhi government offices
The government has already introduced new timings for offices of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the GNCTD, which will remain in force until February 2025. MCD offices will operate from 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 in the evening, while Delhi government offices will function from 10:00 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening. This is expected to reduce vehicle congestion during peak hours and help manage pollution levels.
Sirsa explained that these measures form part of a wider pollution control drive. He said that Delhi is working responsibly at the ground level and that these efforts are also assisting neighbouring states in implementing their own pollution control actions.
More than two thousand staff deployed on the ground
The minister said that more than two thousand personnel from various government agencies are working round the clock across Delhi. Over one thousand two hundred construction sites and polluting industrial units have been inspected so far. More than two hundred of these have been issued show cause notices and fifty sites have been ordered to shut down immediately. The government has requested private offices to circulate the advisory across all branches and teams and ensure compliance.
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