50 per cent Delhi govt employees to work from home

An anti-smog gun sprays mist amid heavy pollution. Pic/PTI

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday ordered 50 per cent of the staff in government offices to work from home. He also urged private offices, industries and businesses to implement similar measures to help mitigate the city's air pollution crisis.

However, essential services such as healthcare, sanitation, public transport, fire services, law enforcement, power supply, water treatment, and emergency response operations will continue to work in full capacity to ensure public services remain unaffected.

Nearly 80 departments and different agencies in the Delhi government, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, employ approximately 1.4 lakh people.

On Wednesday, Delhi witnessed yet another dawn with a blanket of toxic air as it recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 426 in the "severe" category, which followed the coldest night of the season in the city so far. "We are continuously working to reduce pollution levels and today's decisions are part of that effort. We hope the situation improves," Rai said.

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