With Delhi under tighter pollution curbs, the Labour Department on Tuesday announced work-from-home norms for government offices and compensation for construction workers impacted by the prolonged halt in construction activity under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Under the new directive, office attendance across government offices and business establishments in the national capital will be capped at 50 per cent from December 18, with the remaining staff required to work from home. Offices have also been instructed to implement flexible working hours to reduce crowding. However, essential services such as jails, healthcare, public transport, electricity and other critical departments have been exempted from these restrictions.
In relief for affected labourers, the department announced that all registered construction workers will receive Rs 10,000 as compensation for loss of wages during the period when construction activity remained suspended due to GRAP restrictions. Construction work was halted for 16 days while Delhi was under GRAP Stage 3. Officials said compensation related to GRAP Stage 4 will be calculated once the curbs are lifted.
Authorities added that the construction workers’ registration portal remains open, allowing more workers to enrol and become eligible for financial assistance.
The announcement comes amid a marginal improvement in Delhi’s air quality on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 328, still in the ‘very poor’ category. Several parts of the city continued to witness dense smog, with reduced visibility during early morning hours.
As per air quality standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.
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