Air pollution: 50% office staff to work from home in Gurugram, Noida from November 5

The Commission for Air Quality Management on Friday directed state government and private offices in Delhi and five adjoining regions including Gurugram and Noida to ensure that 50% of their employees work from home between November 5 and November 20.

The decision was taken as a precautionary measure citing peak air pollution levels historically observed during and immediately after Diwali, which will be celebrated on November 8 this year.

The five regions covered under the work-from-home order are Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat districts in Haryana, and Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. However, the order exempts industrial establishments and essential services.

In Delhi, the requirement for 50% employees in government and private offices to work from home had already been announced on October 20 as part of the government’s Winter Action Plan, which will take effect on Sunday. The measures in Delhi will remain in force till February 28.

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. The lighting of firecrackers during Diwali along with stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.

The Commission for Air Quality Management also imposed a 15-day ban on...

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