With Delhi’s air quality and AQI levels unrelenting for over a week now, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has advised the people in the national capital to opt for carpooling and use public transport frequently to combat the air pollution.
According to the Delhi Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Gupta encourages private institutions to prioritise work-from-home arrangements in light of the prevailing pollution situation.In view of the rising air pollution in the capital, Chief Minister Gupta had earlier decided to change the working hours of the offices of the Delhi Government and the Delhi Municipal Corporation.This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to prevent pollution, ensuring that the pressure of vehicles on the roads does not increase all at once and the traffic load is evenly distributed, thereby reducing pollution levels.
The Chief Minister also stated that the government is continuously making serious efforts to tackle pollution. In this series, the BJP government has already shown proactiveness by taking this step.It has also been noted that during the previous government's tenure, office timings were altered when pollution increased in the capital during these periods. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to maintain a gap in the opening and closing times of offices to prevent simultaneous traffic pressure.
Currently, Delhi Government offices operate from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, and Delhi Municipal Corporation offices from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Due to a 30-minute difference in timing, heavy traffic and congestion occur both in the morning and evening, further exacerbating air pollution.The Chief Minister said that if a greater gap is maintained between the opening and closing times of both institutions, the number of vehicles on the roads at the same time will decrease, helping to reduce pollution.
According to the Chief Minister, there is a likelihood of increased pollution this year as well during the aforementioned period (November 15, 2025, to February 15, 2026), so changes are being made to government office timings.Under the proposed changes, the new winter timings for government offices will be as follows: Delhi Government offices from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, and Delhi Municipal Corporation offices from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
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