Delhi calls for WFH implementation, industries shutdown, construction ban in NCR to curb pollution

Delhi air pollution. (Image: ANI)

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on November 16 said that his government has proposed implementation on Work From Home, ban on construction and industries shutdown in the NCR regions to curb air pollution.

The meeting was held after a bench, headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, directed the concerned secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, and Delhi to attend the meeting to make their submissions before the committee formed by it.

"In today's meeting with officials of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Haryana, we (Delhi govt) proposed that WFH should be implemented in NCR regions; construction work should be banned, industries should be shut too (in NCR)," ANI has reported quoting Gopal Rai.

Rai also said that the 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign to curb vehicle pollution which ends on November 18 will be extended by 15 days - second phase is from November 19 to December 3.

Yesterday the court had said that "The affidavit filed by respondents and after hearing we come to the conclusion the major culprits of pollution are construction activity, industry, transport, power and vehicular traffic apart from stubble burning in some parts."

The top court also had asked the state governments of Punjab and Haryana to pursue the farmers for two weeks not to do stubble burning.

"We direct the government of India, NCR states to examine introducing work from home for employees,” the bench had said.

Earlier, CM Arind Kejriwal had also announced that in-person school classes in the national capital will remain shut for a week and employees at government offices will be asked to work from home for the same period due to the air pollution crisis.

"For a week from Monday onwards, schools will be physically closed; to continue virtually so that children don't have to breathe polluted air," Kejriwal had said.

The Haryana govt had too announced to shut all schools in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, and Jhajjar till November 17, in view of rising air pollution.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality stayed ‘very poor’ for the third consecutive day on November 16. The air quality index (AQI) was at 396.

The condition in neighbouring cities was not much better than in Delhi. Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 349, while in Greater Noida, it was 359. The index hovered on 363 in Gurgaon 382 in Noida.

The AQI was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category across large parts of Delhi, barring places like Dwarka Sector-8, Patparganj, Alipur, Shadipur, DTU, and Panjabi Bagh, where it crossed the 400-mark, going into the ‘severe’ category, according to data shown in SAMEER app.