Gurugram, Noida and the rest of Delhi-NCR are set to see reduced office attendance and a halt to several construction activities from November 5, when a fresh set of pollution-control measures comes into force for 16 days.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued the order, dated October 30, late on Friday. It lays down precautionary measures for the November 5-20 period under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021. Signed by Member Secretary Tarun Kumar Pithode, the directions apply to departments and agencies of the NCR state governments and the Delhi government.
50 per cent physical attendance in offices across six districts
Government and private offices in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) will have to ensure that no more than 50 per cent of their staff attend physically. The remaining employees will work from home.
Industrial establishments and essential services where work-from-home arrangements are not feasible have been exempted.
Construction and demolition activities banned across NCR
Dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities will be restricted across the entire NCR. The restriction also applies to linear public infrastructure projects, such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecommunication works.
Projects related to railways, metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, hospitals, water supply and sanitation, national security and defence, as well as those of national importance, have been exempted.
Why the curbs, and why now?
The Commission has described the measures as preventive, with restrictions limited to a specified period and area in view of the region’s seasonal vulnerability to air pollution. The exemptions are meant to ensure that essential and unavoidable work is not disrupted.
The order follows the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) schedule issued on September 29.
Data for the 2018-2025 period show that air pollution in Delhi-NCR turns most toxic in the first and middle weeks of November, according to the directions.
Smog begins to appear in Gurugram
Light morning smog has started appearing in Gurugram with the onset of cooler weather, although air quality index (AQI) readings at monitoring stations remain within the normal range for now. Dust accumulation on roads, including in Sector 89, is adding to the problem.
As winter sets in, wind speed drops sharply, trapping local emissions, stubble-burning smoke and pollutants from biomass burning close to the ground. This leads to severe pollution spells that the latest restrictions seek to prevent.
Who will enforce the restrictions?
The directions have been sent to the chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. Local administrations, police and pollution control board teams have been told to ensure compliance.
Flying squads will monitor violations from November 5. Construction sites and companies violating the restrictions will face heavy fines.
For Gurugram and Noida, where construction activity and office towers define the skyline, the next two weeks will test how well the pollution curbs hold.