Delhi Air Pollution, Govt Offices New Timings: In a strategic move to address pollution and traffic congestion, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has announced revised working hours for government offices on Friday. According to the new schedules it aims to reduce vehicular traffic during peak hours and improve the air quality in the national capital. Central Government offices will commence from 9:00 am and will last till 5:30 pm, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, (MCD) offices will run from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and the Delhi Government offices will operate from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, as per a statement released by Atishi on X.
Severe Air Quality raises alarm
The decision has been taken as the air quality in Delhi has deteriorated to the ”severe” category and has recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 411 on Friday. The national capital has been engulfed in smog for three consecutive days, with Friday morning’s AQI raised to 420, as per SAFAR. Post-Diwali celebrations have already pushed the AQI into the ”very poor” category but the latest readings have further worsened the situation.
A dense blanket of smog has covered areas like AIIMS and Akshardham, as per visuals taken by the drones. Popular areas like Anand Vihar and Kartavya Path also reported AQIs of 441, further affecting the visibility. Despite the grave conditions, residents continued with their daily activities like walking amidst the haze.
To control the situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented GRAP stage 3 measures. Under this, construction and demolition activities will be stopped excluding important government projects, and restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles. On the contrary, truck drivers in Delhi have raised concerns regarding the potential risk because of these curbs. They think that it will be difficult for them to repay their vehicle loans and sustain their livelihoods.
To control the air quality crisis, the Delhi government has decided to divide office timings and execute GRAP measures. However, balancing environmental needs along with economic concerns continues to be a major challenge for the government.
(With inputs from Agencies)