Delhi pollution crisis: Govt changes office hours from Nov 15 to reduce vehicle surge

New Delhi: In response to rising air pollution levels in the capital, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced new winter office timings to stagger vehicle traffic and reduce pollution. This precautionary measure will be effective from November 15, 2025, to February 15, 2026, across Delhi Government and Delhi Municipal Corporation offices.

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. The revised timings will be 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM for the State government and 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM for the Municipal Corporation, increasing the gap to prevent simultaneous vehicle surge on roads and thereby reduce pollution.

Pollution typically spikes during winters in Delhi due to increased levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles, with current PM2.5 levels around 410 µg/m³ and PM10 at 535 µg/m³—far exceeding safe limits and categorised as hazardous. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has also been fluctuating at hazardous levels, reaching as high as 660 recently.

In addition to timing changes, other steps like the doubling of parking fees under Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are underway to curb pollution. The Chief Minister expects these measures to improve air quality and relieve citizens during the critical winter months. Officials have been instructed to strictly implement and monitor these changes continuously to gauge their effectiveness in reducing pollution.

With inputs from ANI