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The Delhi government on Thursday directed all government and private offices in the Capital to function with no more than 50 per cent staff on-site, while the remaining employees will be required to work remotely. The directions were issued by the Department of Environment & Forests under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as part of emergency restrictions triggered under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The order comes as Delhi’s air quality continues to deteriorate sharply, with PM2.5 and PM10 levels exceeding the permissible limits during peak winter pollution. Delhi has been designated as an air pollution control zone since 1987, and various stages of GRAP have been invoked since mid-October on the orders of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
According to the notification, government departments of the GNCTD must ensure that only half of their employees are physically present at offices. Additional staff may be called in solely for essential operations and emergency services.
Private offices have also been asked to apply the 50 per cent attendance ceiling and shift the remaining workforce to mandatory work-from-home settings. They have been urged to enforce staggered shifts and cut down on office-linked vehicle movement to reduce emissions.
The decision follows the Supreme Court’s hearings on November 17 and 19 in the M.C. Mehta air pollution case, after which CAQM modified the GRAP timeline. A provision initially listed under Stage IV, imposing 50 per cent staff operations, has now been advanced to Stage III to allow quicker response mechanisms.
The announcement comes shortly after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena cleared staggered work hours for GNCTD and Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices to limit rush-hour traffic and related pollution.
Hospitals, emergency responders, public transport units, power and water utilities, sanitation departments and agencies involved in pollution control will not be covered by the attendance restrictions.
The order takes immediate effect and will continue for the duration of Stage III restrictions. District Magistrates, DCPs and municipal authorities have been tasked with ensuring implementation across the city.
Any violation of the directive will attract penalties under Sections 15 and 16 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, in addition to other applicable laws. The directive has been circulated to all departments and the IT Department has been instructed to prominently display the order on the Delhi government portal.
