NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 -- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has ordered government and private offices in Delhi and five adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) districts to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent physical attendance from November 5 to 20, as part of preventive measures to tackle the region's recurring winter air pollution crisis.

The remaining employees will be required to work from home during the 16-day period. The commission has also imposed restrictions on dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities across the entire NCR, while exempting essential infrastructure and projects of national importance.

The directions, issued on October 30 under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021, are aimed at reducing emissions before pollution levels typically reach their seasonal peak in November.

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The office attendance restrictions will apply across the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat in Haryana, along with Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Both state government and private offices in these areas have been directed to ensure that no more than half their workforce attends physically, with the remaining employees working remotely.

However, industrial establishments and essential services where work-from-home arrangements are not feasible have been exempted from the requirement.

The commission has directed the Delhi government, NCR state governments and concerned implementing agencies to ensure compliance with the measures during the specified period.

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The CAQM has also directed a temporary halt to dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction activities throughout the NCR from November 5 to 20.

The restrictions cover several categories of construction work, including linear public infrastructure projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecommunications infrastructure.

However, exemptions have been provided for projects associated with railways, Metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, hospitals, water supply and sanitation.

Construction activities related to national security, defence and projects of national importance will also be permitted to continue during the restricted period.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had announced the proposed construction restrictions on Friday, describing early and mid-November as a particularly critical period for air pollution in the region.

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The commission said its analysis of daily Air Quality Index (AQI) data from November 2018 to 2025 showed a recurring pattern of high pollution levels during the first half of the month, with air quality reaching the 'Severe' and 'Severe+' categories on several occasions.

According to CAQM, emissions from local sources, crop residue burning and biomass combustion contribute to pollution during this period. Unfavourable meteorological conditions, including low wind speeds, a shallow atmospheric boundary layer and reduced vertical mixing, further restrict the dispersal of pollutants.

The commission said the restrictions were preventive and limited in duration, intended to reduce emissions at source and minimise the accumulation of pollutants ahead of the expected pollution peak.

Unlike restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which are generally linked to prevailing or forecast AQI levels, the latest measures will operate during a fixed period irrespective of daily air quality readings.

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The latest directions come as Delhi prepares to implement its wider winter pollution-control plan, which includes restrictions on polluting vehicles, stricter enforcement of pollution certificates and measures to discourage private vehicle use.

CAQM had invoked Stage I of GRAP across Delhi-NCR on October 21 after air quality deteriorated into the 'Poor' category.

The additional November restrictions are intended to supplement existing pollution-control measures and reduce the likelihood of a sharp deterioration in air quality during the winter season.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.