Amid Delhi pollution, offices to work with 50% staff? Here’s what revised GRAP says about work-from-home
At 1:30 pm on Saturday, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 367, falling in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI has remained in this category consecutively for more than a week.
Delhi’s AQI has remained in the ‘very poor’ category consistently for more than a week.
After the Supreme Court allowed revisions to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the national capital region (NCR), some measures under GRAP Stage 4 will now fall under the plan’s Stage 3. The measures were proposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in response to Delhi’s air pollution crisis. So, does this mean that offices in Delhi-NCR will now operate with 50 percent staff capacity? Here’s what GRAP rules say about work-from-home.
As regards work-from-home, the advisory pertaining to GRAP Stage 4 (now falling under Stage 3) says the following:
- NCR state governments/GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) to take a decision on allowing public, municipal and private offices to work on 50% strength and the rest to work from home.
- Central Government may take appropriate decision on permitting work from home for employees in central government offices.
This means that the decision to allow work-from-home for employees now rests in the hands of state and central governments.
Delhi’s air pollution crisis
At 1:30 pm on Saturday, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 367, falling in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI has remained in this category consecutively for more than a week. The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System said Delhi’s AQI is expected to remain in either ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’ category for nearly a week. Top experts have sounded serious alarm on the situation, with an AIIMS doctor describing it as “life-threatening.”
