2 Delhi Ministers Order 50% WFH For Staff As AQI Hits 403, Air Quality Turns ‘Severe’

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Transport Minister Pankaj Singh have directed 50 per cent of employees in departments under their respective charge to work from home as the national capital battles worsening air pollution. The orders, issued on Friday, are aimed at reducing vehicular movement and curbing pollution caused by daily office commutes.

The directions come as Delhi's air quality slipped into the 'severe' category, with a thick layer of smog covering the city. 

Sirsa, Pankaj Singh Issue WFH Directions

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Transport Minister Pankaj Singh have asked half of the workforce in departments under their charge to work remotely.

Sirsa oversees the environment, food and civil supplies, industries, and forest and wildlife portfolios. Pankaj Singh, who also holds the health portfolio, is in charge of transport, health and family welfare, and information technology.

The move is intended to reduce the number of private vehicles on Delhi's roads by limiting daily commuting among government employees.

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Hospital Staff Excluded From Work-From-Home Order

A government official clarified that the directions cover only employees and officers posted at the Secretariat. Hospital personnel and other essential service workers are not included in the arrangement.

“Yes, This order only for employees and officers working at the Secretariat, not for the Health Department. All personnel working in hospitals fall under essential services,” the official said.

Delhi AQI Enters Severe Category

The decision comes amid a deterioration in Delhi's air quality. The AQI touched 403 on Friday morning, entering the 'severe' category, before improving slightly to 373 at 4 pm, which falls in the 'very poor' category.

A thick blanket of smog enveloped the national capital, reducing visibility and triggering complaints of breathing difficulties among residents.

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GRAP III Provides For 50% Office Attendance

The ministers' directions come under the broader framework of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which came into force across Delhi-NCR on November 6.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has asked NCR governments to consider allowing public, municipal and private offices to operate with 50 per cent staff strength, with the remaining employees working from home.

“Going by CAQM guidelines on air quality, heads of departments are free to take decisions regarding allowing work from home. Essential services will not be covered in this,” a government official said, as per reports.

The Delhi government's winter action plan, effective November 1, also provides for 50 per cent work from home, with Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments required to ensure that no more than half their staff are physically present in offices.