Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Announces Staggered Office Timings For Government Employees Amid Rising Air Pollution

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced staggered working hours for government employees in the national capital starting November 15, citing worsening air pollution levels.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's air quality dipped into the 'very poor' category on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 312 as of 8 a.m. On Thursday, the city's AQI stood at 271, categorised as 'poor'.

Several monitoring stations across the capital reported 'very poor' air quality. Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 332, Alipur 316, Ashok Vihar 332, Bawana 366, Burari Crossing 345, Chandni Chowk 354, Dwarka Sector-8 310, ITO 337, Jahangirpuri 342, Mundka 335, Narela 335, Okhla Phase 2 307, Patparganj 314, Punjabi Bagh 343, RK Puram 321, Rohini 336, and Sonia Vihar 326, as per CPCB's live air quality index data.

Meanwhile, stations like Aya Nagar reported an AQI of 261, IGI Airport 259, JLN Stadium 296, Lodhi Road 224, and Najafgarh 265 - all falling under the 'poor' category.

As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.

To mitigate pollution, truck-mounted water sprinklers have been deployed across multiple areas in Delhi. Residents also woke up to a thick layer of haze as winter conditions began to set in. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), the capital recorded a minimum temperature of around 12°C on November 6.

Specific readings include 12.7°C at Safdarjung, 12.5°C at Palam, 12°C at Lodhi Road, and 11.4°C at Aya Nagar.

Since Diwali, the AQI in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has consistently remained in the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories, even as Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) continues to be enforced.

In response to the deteriorating conditions, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has also doubled parking fees across the capital following the activation of GRAP Stage II measures.