Delhi Pollution Alert: Govt Mandates 50% WFH, Schools To Stay Shut, Rs 10,000 Relief for Construction Workers

The Delhi Labour Department on Tuesday announced that offices across the national capital will be allowed to function at 50% capacity in response to alarming levels of air pollution in the city. The directive comes as part of measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which has already halted construction activities for 16 days to curb pollution.

Delhi Pollution Updates: Government Mandates 50% Office Capacity From 18 December

The order stipulates that offices and business establishments will operate with only half of their workforce on-site, while the remaining employees will continue to work from home. For government offices, Heads of Departments and Administrative Secretaries have been authorized to call officials to their workplaces as necessary, ensuring the continued delivery of public services.

Rs 10,000 Compensation for Construction Workers, Essential Services Exempted from 50% Capacity Rule

As part of the relief measures, the government has announced financial compensation of Rs 10,000 for construction workers who are expected to face losses due to the suspension of construction activities. Essential services, including healthcare, police, public transport, and electricity, have been exempted from the 50% capacity rule to ensure uninterrupted functioning.

School Holiday in Delhi: Schools and Colleges to Continue Hybrid or Online Classes

The Delhi government has also issued directives regarding educational institutions. Schools and colleges up to classes 9 and 11 are required to adopt a hybrid mode of teaching, combining both online and offline classes. Students of classes 10 and 12 are exempted from this rule.

Meanwhile, students from nursery to class 5 will be required to attend classes in fully virtual mode due to the high pollution levels. The Supreme Court recently declined to interfere with the Delhi government's order to shut schools for younger students, noting that the upcoming winter vacation coincides with the closure, effectively making it an early holiday period.

Explaining the rationale behind these measures, the Supreme Court bench stated, "The short-term measures are only to provide temporary protection to children and elderly persons. These are purely interim policy decisions. At best, they can be viewed as an extension of vacations, as schools are anyway scheduled to remain closed for 10 to 15 days during the winter."

Toll Plaza Closures to Ease Congestion

In addition, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the closure or shifting of nine toll plazas around Delhi to ease congestion at the city's border areas, a move aimed at reducing vehicular emissions contributing to air pollution.