New Delhi, 01 July (H.S.): The Delhi government on Wednesday notified its Winter Air Pollution Master Plan, introducing a series of permanent measures to tackle severe air pollution during the winter months. Issued by the Department of Environment and Forests, the plan will remain in force every year from November 1 to February 28.

Under the plan, 50 percent of employees in government and private offices will work from home from November 1 to January 31. Parking charges at authorised parking facilities will be doubled from November 1 to February 28, while demolition activities and open civil construction work will remain prohibited from November 1 to January 31.

In a statement, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said Delhi experiences a significant deterioration in air quality every winter, with pollution levels consistently rising between November and February. Keeping this recurring challenge in view, the government has introduced a permanent regulatory framework to address seasonal pollution.

To curb vehicular emissions, Gupta announced that throughout the year, petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG filling stations across Delhi will supply fuel only to vehicles carrying a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. Action will be taken against vehicles found refuelling without a valid PUC certificate.

She also announced that all motor vehicles registered outside Delhi and complying with emission standards below Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) will be prohibited from entering and operating in the national capital from November 1 to January 31.

To encourage greater use of public transport, parking fees at authorised parking facilities will be doubled between November 1 and February 28. However, parking facilities operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which support public transport and park-and-ride services, will remain exempt from the higher charges.

To reduce peak-hour traffic congestion, office timings will be staggered during the winter period. From November 1 to February 28, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices will function from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., while Delhi government offices will operate from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., reducing the number of commuters travelling simultaneously.

The Chief Minister said that between November 1 and January 31, only 50 percent of employees in Delhi government and private offices will be required to attend workplaces physically, while the remaining employees will work from home. Private establishments have also been directed to implement staggered working hours, ensure compliance with work-from-home arrangements, and promote carpooling, ride-sharing, public buses and other modes of public transport to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

The government has also imposed an annual ban on demolition work and open civil construction activities that generate dust from November 1 to January 31. Projects involving essential public infrastructure, however, will be exempt from the restriction.

Recognising the period between December 10 and January 20 as the most critical for air pollution, the government will enforce even stricter restrictions on construction and demolition activities during this time. Only designated government infrastructure projects will be permitted to continue. During this period, vehicles carrying construction materials such as sand, gravel, stone, bricks, cement, ready-mix concrete, debris and other building materials will not be allowed to enter Delhi.

For the first time, the government has introduced mandatory dust-control measures for large commercial buildings. All commercial establishments with a built-up area exceeding 3,000 square metres—including shopping malls, hotels, office complexes and institutional buildings with a height of G+5 floors or more—will be required to install anti-smog guns or mist suppression systems within their premises by August 15.

These systems must remain operational throughout the year, although their use will not be mandatory between May 1 and September 15, when monsoon conditions and extreme summer temperatures naturally suppress dust levels.

The Chief Minister said stringent provisions have also been introduced for construction sites. All construction projects on plots exceeding 1,000 square metres will be required to install mist systems to control dust emissions during construction.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be responsible for monitoring, enforcing and ensuring compliance with these regulations.

Gupta said the burning of garbage, leaves, biomass and other materials in the open remains one of the major contributors to winter air pollution in Delhi. To address this, the government has, for the first time, introduced institutional accountability in addition to individual responsibility. Under the new framework, action will be taken not only against the person responsible for setting the fire but also against the concerned institution or management found negligent in preventing such incidents.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar