New Delhi— The Delhi government directed all government and private offices to operate with only 50% staff on-site, while the remaining workforce will work from home. The order comes under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), enforced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in response to dangerously rising pollution levels.
In its directive, the government said all departments must ensure strict adherence to the 50% attendance cap to reduce vehicular movement and curb pollution.
For government offices, administrative secretaries and department heads will continue to work from office regularly, but overall staff presence cannot exceed 50%. Remaining employees will work remotely. Department heads may call additional staff to the office only when necessary.
Private offices across Delhi must also ensure that no more than 50% of their employees are physically present. The remaining staff will mandatorily work from home. Offices have been advised to follow staggered timings wherever possible, strictly implement WFH norms, and reduce daily commuting traffic.
The decision comes as Delhi’s air quality shows no signs of improvement. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the “very poor” to “severe” category on Monday. At 9 am, Delhi recorded an AQI of 396, while Swiss-based IQAir reported a reading of 418, categorised as “severe.”
Meanwhile, temperatures continue to dip, with Monday’s minimum settling at 9.3°C. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 27–28°C.
