New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed government and private offices in Delhi and five National Capital Region (NCR) districts to operate with up to 50 per cent of their staff attending physically, while the remaining employees work from home, from November 5 to 20 as a precautionary measure to control air pollution.
The Commission has also ordered restrictions on dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities across the entire NCR during the same period. However, exemptions have been provided for essential public infrastructure, national security and other critical projects.
In an order dated October 30, the CAQM directed offices in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar to follow the arrangement, except industrial establishments and essential services where such a system is not feasible.
The construction restrictions will also cover linear public infrastructure projects, including highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecommunication works.
Exemptions will apply to projects related to Railways, Metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, hospitals, water supply and sanitation, national security and defence-related activities, as well as projects of national importance.
Explaining the decision, the CAQM cited historical daily Air Quality Index (AQI) data for November between 2018 and 2025, which showed recurring elevated pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, particularly during early to mid-November.
The Commission noted that local emissions, seasonal agricultural residue and biomass burning, along with other episodic emissions, contribute to pollution. Adverse weather conditions, including low wind speeds, a shallow atmospheric boundary layer and reduced vertical mixing, further restrict pollutant dispersion.
It also noted that AQI levels had reached the ‘Severe’ and ‘Severe+’ categories on certain days during the period examined.
Issued under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021, the preventive measures aim to reduce emissions at source and minimise pollutant accumulation during peak pollution episodes.
