HALF of the staff of Delhi Government offices will work from home in view of the pollution levels in the city, Environment minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday. In a post on X, Rai said that 50 per cent of the staff in Government offices will work from home. Implementation of the provision will be discussed inameetingwith theofficerslater in the day, he said. Earlier, the Government announcedstaggeredoffice timings for its offices and the MCD. The timings of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices were fixed from 8.30 am to 5 pm, while that of Delhi Government offices were 10 am to 6.30 pm. Delhi witnessed yet another dawn with a blanket of toxic air on Wednesday, as the capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 426in the“severe” category, which followed the coldestnight of the seasonin the city so far. The city’s minimum temperature dropped to 11.1 degrees Celsius Tuesday night, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

The drop in temperature combined with dense fog has blanketed the city, reducing visibility to 500 metres as of 8.30 am. The IMD has forecast dense fog topersist throughout theday. Humidity levels stood at 84 pc in the morning. The maximum temperature forthedayisexpected to settle at 25 degrees Celsius. Delhi had an AQI reading of 426 onWednesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI of 400 or higher is classified as “severe,” posing health risks to healthy individuals and those with pre-existing medical conditions. All but one of the 38 monitoring stations in the national capital were in the red zone.

 

The Lodhi Road station was not in the red zone recording an AQI in the “very poor” category. Delhi’s air quality firstbreached the“severeplus” category on Sunday, leading to the implementation of Stage IV restrictions under the Graded ResponseActionPlan (GRAP)on Monday morning. These measures include a complete ban on construction and demolition activities and suspension of physical classes in schools. The Commission for AirQualityManagement (CAQM) also implemented additional restrictions, including a ban on the operation of four-wheeler diesel light motor vehicles (LMVs) in Delhi and NCR districts, except for BS-VI vehicles and those used for essential or emergency services.