No Work From Home for Delhi govt staff, offices reopen with full capacity as air quality improves

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday lifted several pollution-related curbs and revoked the Work From Home (WFH) order issued earlier for 50 percent of government employees and directed all government offices to re-open with full capacity the air quality improved in the national capital. The announcement was made by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

Rai, while addressing a press conference, said that the Work From Home order has been revoked and all government offices have been reopened with full capacity as the air quality has improved. Rai further informed that with air pollution ameliorating, all primary schools in Delhi will reopen from November 9.

With the Air Quality Index improved in relative terms, the Delhi government lifted various bans, imposed earlier, including the ban on the entry of trucks into the national capital. The Environment Minister, however, said that the ban on public projects in Delhi like highways, flyovers, and pipelines has been lifted. "Curbs will continue on private construction work in the NCR region," Gopal Rai said.

What Does the Delhi Govt Order Say? 

In view of the Central government`s panel Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to revoke the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 4, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that the ban on entry of trucks into Delhi has been lifted, which means that there is no ban on entry of trucks and non-BS 6 diesel light motor vehicles are allowed. 

 

Ban on entry of trucks into Delhi lifted. Directions for work from home amended and offices functioning at full capacity from today. Ban on construction work related to highway, road, flyover, overbridge, pipeline, power transmission lifted: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai pic.twitter.com/gbatoLtVzG — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2022

 

Rai said that the ban on entry of trucks into the national capital would be partially lifted and directions for work from home and for government offices have been amended. Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party announced a mandatory 50% work-from-home for government offices, and a similar advisory was issued for private offices, which has been revoked now.

The minister added that the primary schools will be reopened from Wednesday, which was shut down as the Air Quality in Delhi went from bad to worse. Curbs on outdoor activities for secondary school students will also be lifted from Wednesday.

 

Primary schools in Delhi were closed and open activities of classes senior to them were stopped. From 9th Nov, primary schools will open, and the ban on open activities is being lifted: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai pic.twitter.com/Rd1u1eJGnR — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2022

 

Curbs on BS III petrol vehicles and BS IV diesel vehicles to continue

Curbs on BS III petrol vehicles and BS IV diesel vehicles will still continue in Delhi. Gopal Rai said the ban was imposed under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP); and that it won`t be lifted yet. "However, the ban on private demolition and construction work will continue," Gopal Rai said in the briefing. 

Delhi AQI Improves 

Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital Delhi on Monday morning came down and stopped at a `very poor` category, after continuing to slide from the `severe` category, which was recorded for three straight days last week, said the forecast system SAFAR.

Even though the air quality in Delhi continued to slide for the second consecutive day from the `upper end of very poor` to the `very poor` category, still, it is touching an alarming level on Monday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 326.

The National Capital Region (NCR) also continued to witness bad air as Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 356, in the `very poor` category, while Gurugram`s AQI stood at 364 and continued to remain in the `very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

According to the data released by the "Air Quality Early Warning System Delhi", the quality of air is to further deteriorate in Delhi in the coming days.

 "The air quality is likely to deteriorate but remains in the very poor category from November 8 to November 9," it said in a press release, adding that the forecast for the subsequent six days is likely to remain largely in the very Poor category.