Air Pollution: At Meeting With States & Centre, Delhi Govt Suggests WFH in NCR

Work from home has reportedly been suggested by the Delhi administration for both government and private offices.

A view of the Supreme Court of India, shrouded in smog, in New Delhi, Saturday, 13 November.

(Photo: PTI/Atul Yadav)

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday, 16 November, said that at a meeting with officials of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, the Delhi government had proposed that work from home (WFH) should be implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Work from home has reportedly been suggested for government and private offices.

Additionally, the government also suggested that construction work should be banned and industries should be shut in NCR, Rai added, according to news agency ANI.

The meeting to discuss measures to mitigate Delhi pollution comes a day after the Supreme Court delivered a rap on the knuckles of the parties involved.

Speaking to NDTV, Rai added that the Delhi government has also proposed a weekend lockdown and that their strategy would be dependant on the directions meted out by the Supreme Court. Officials also said work-from-home has been suggested for government as well as private offices.

WHAT HAPPENED IN SC ON MONDAY?

The Delhi government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it was ready to impose a complete lockdown in Delhi to control air pollution.

However, it would be effective only if a lockdown was imposed in NCR across neighbouring states, the Delhi government added, according to LiveLaw.

Accordingly, it submitted an affidavit before the top court stating the same to control local emissions if it is mandated for the entire NCR area by the Government of India.

The SC on Monday had also direct the Centre to have an emergency meeting on Tuesday and take into accounts points cited by the court. Further, the apex court asked the Centre and state governments to respond by Tuesday evening over which industries can be stopped, which vehicles can be prevented from plying and which power plants can be halted.

(With inputs from ANI, NDTV and LiveLaw.)