Delhi govt orders WFH for half its staff, primary schools to be shut

As capital chokes with air pollution, AAP takes responsibility for excessive stubble burning in the last few days

The Delhi government on Fri­day declared that 50 per cent of its employees will work from home (WFH) and primary schools will be shut, in a slew of de­c­isi­ons to stem the tide of rising air pollution in the national capital.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that 50 per cent of government staff would switch to WFH, adding a similar advisory had been issued for private offices. The entry of trucks in the city — other than those carrying essential services — is already barred.
 

“We’re taking all steps to control pollution. We’re shutting down all primary schools in Delhi from to­morrow till the situation improves. Also, outdoor activities for students of all Classes above V would be barred,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
 

Addressing the press, Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhag­want Mann took responsibility for the excessive stubble burning that has led to a decline in air quality over the last few days. However, they added, air pollution wasn’t limited to Delhi or Pun­jab but was a “North India problem”. “This is not the time for blame game and politics, but the time to find a solution. Blaming Kejriwal or the Punjab government won’t help,” Kejriwal said.
 

Delhi’s decision comes a day af­ter the Commission for Air Quality Management ordered the implem­en­tation of Graded Response Action Plan’s stage IV —“severe +” — in Delhi-National Capital Region.
 

A six-member team of senior officials had been set up to monitor the implementation of the curbs on anti-polluting activities, the Delhi CM said, adding that revenue commissioners had been asked to prepare a plan for staggered timings of markets and offices.
 

The Aam Aadmi Party government is also mulling bringing back odd-even traffic rationing measures for vehicles in the national capital, Kejriwal had said earlier in the day.
 

In most places in Delhi, air quality continued to remain in the “severe” category on Friday. The air quality index (AQI) was above 470 at many places in the capital with overall average AQI recorded at 450.
 

The current level of air pollution is over 10 times the global safety threshold, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

Analysis by NCAP Tracker — which gives updates on the Centre’s National Clean Air Programme and its effectiveness — revealed that the average PM2.5 levels were higher this October as compared to Oct­ob­er 2021 in the state capitals of Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Patna despite improved meteorological conditions and a cleaner Diwali.
 

“Delhi recorded an average PM2.5 of 105 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) in October 2022 as opposed to 74.88 ug/m3 in the previous year. The rains also meant a delayed stubble burning season, which meant its share in the PM2.5 levels in Delhi was around 7 per cent until October 28,” the report said.
 

The AQI deteriorated after Diwali with a rising number of stubble burning cases.
 

A dissatisfied National Human Rights Commission asked the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Delhi to appear before it on November 10, and also asked them to inform within a week about the steps taken by their respective governments to stop stubble burning, according to a statement on Friday.