India, Sept. 29 -- The Delhi government on Monday announced a phased ban on construction and demolition, 50% work from home, double parking charges and restrictions on the entry of older petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the city in an effort to dispel the toxic blanket of smog that chokes the Capital every winter.

The measures are part of the government's Winter Action Plan 2026-27, which chief minister Rekha Gupta described as a "prevention-focused and time-bound" strategy based on a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The government said public participation would be a key pillar of the campaign.

However, experts expressed reservations about the efficacy of several measures without stronger and sustained ac...