Delhi govt mandates 50% WFH from 18 December for all offices to combat rising air pollution

The Delhi Labour Department on Tuesday announced that offices will be allowed to function with 50% capacity in the wake of alarming levels of pollution in the city.

The department ha also announced compensation of ₹10,000 for workers involved in construction who will be suffering from financial losses after Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) implementation in the national capital, which has ceased construction activities in the city for a period of 16 days.

Starting December 18, offices as well as business establishments across Delhi will be allowed to operate only with 50% capacity while the remaining staff members will have to work from their homes.

Health, police, public transport, electricity, and other essential services have been granted exemption from this rule.

When it comes to government offices, it has been advised that Heads of Departments and Administrative Secretaries will be able to call officials to their workplaces to continue uninterrupted flow of public services.

Schools, colleges

The government of Delhi has directed schools and colleges to continue hybrid mode of teaching, with both online as well as offline classes upto classes 9 and 11.

Students of classes 10 and 12 have been granted exemption from this rule.

AAP vs BJP amid Delhi pollution

The AAP, on Tuesday held a protest outside the Delhi Secretariat, where they banged plates to "wake uo" the government from its "deep slumber," as per a PTI report.

Led by AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, the protesters raised slogans of "AQI, AQI" and "Pollution ko jaana hoga". They were later detained by police.

Delhi's Labour minister Kapil Mishra slammed the AAP for this protest, saying, "Their chief minister used to run away during the season, but our chief minister is there on the road. They are indulging in dirty politics. It is our mistake that there is pollution because the problem of 30 years cannot be eradicated within five months," as per PTI.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has also lashed out at the AAP, saying, "Those who ruled Delhi for 10-12 years and gifted this city the disease of pollution are now staging protests against the very disease they created. They left Delhi buried under garbage mountains and smog, and today they pretend to be the saviours of clean air."

"While some leaders are busy watching movies and doing drama politics, this government is working like a doctor, treating the pollution crisis every single day, hotspot by hotspot, landfill by landfill, and industry by industry. We are correcting the damage done over 10-15 years by previous regimes," Sirsa said.