THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Dec 17: Amid severe air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Delhi government, led by CM Rekha Gupta, has implemented a mandatory 50% work-from-home policy for all government and private institutions.
Exemptions have been provided for essential services such as healthcare. Additionally, the government has imposed a complete ban on construction activities in Delhi.
Institutions that fail to comply with these rules will face fines, according to Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra.
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The Labour Department has also announced that construction work will remain suspended for 16 days during the “Grade-4” pollution period. Registered workers affected by this halt will receive ₹10,000 compensation directly into their bank accounts.
Additionally, the Delhi government has restricted fuel supply for vehicles without a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. Vehicles from outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards have also been barred from entering the city.
As of Wednesday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 329, placing it in the “very poor” category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that at 7 a.m., most monitoring stations were below the “severe” range, though some areas still recorded “poor” levels.
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On Tuesday, the 24-hour AQI was 354, remaining in the “severe” category. For reference, AQI levels are classified as: 0–50 good, 51–100 satisfactory, 101–200 moderate, 201–300 poor, 301–400 very poor, and 401–500 severe.
