Delhi Unveils Winter Pollution Plan: Parking Charges to Double, Work-From-Home for Half of Staff
Delhi announces early winter pollution measures: doubled parking charges, staggered office timings, 50% work-from-home and a construction and demolition ban.
The Delhi government has rolled out a set of measures to curb air pollution well before the winter season, a period when the capital's air quality has historically deteriorated.
Among the steps announced is a doubling of parking charges, which will come into effect from November 1. The move is intended to discourage the use of private vehicles.
The plan also includes staggered office timings running from November 1 to February 28, 2027. Under this arrangement, offices under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will operate from 8.30 am to 5 pm, while Delhi government offices will function from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
Government and private offices have also been asked to cut their work strength by half, with 50 per cent of staff working from home during the same period.
In addition, a complete ban will be imposed on construction and demolition activities that generate dust, covering a specified number of weeks within the winter months.
Delhi has over the years introduced several measures to tackle winter pollution, including the odd-even vehicle scheme, under which cars with odd and even registration numbers were allowed on the roads on alternate days to reduce emissions.
Dust, industrial activity and vehicular emissions remain major contributors to the city's pollution load. Crop residue burning in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana has also been identified as a seasonal factor behind the capital's worsening air during winter.