India’s Delhi municipal government on Tuesday proposed work-from-home for a week and a weekend lockdown among other steps at an emergency meeting to fight the pollution in the Indian capital city.
Apart from this, the Delhi government recommended a ban on construction and industrial activities.
The meeting of the federal government and representatives from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, among all stakeholders, was ordered by India’s top court to fight Delhi’s toxic air crisis that has forced the shut-down of schools.
“In today’s meeting with officials of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Haryana, we (Delhi govt) proposed that WFH should be implemented in NCR regions; construction work should be banned, industries should be shut too (in NCR),” ANI has reported quoting Gopal Rai.
Rai also said that the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign to curb vehicle pollution which ends on November 18 will also be extended by 15 days.
“The government has taken a decision to extend the campaign by 15 days, from November 19 to December 3,” Rai said.
Delhi government has been blaming stubble burning in the neighboring states for air pollution in the capital city.
On Monday the federal government told the court that stubble burning contributes to only 4 percent of air pollution.
Earlier, CM Arind Kejriwal had also announced that in-person school classes in the national capital will remain shut for a week and employees at government offices will be asked to work from home for the same period due to the air pollution crisis.
“For a week from Monday onwards, schools will be physically closed; to continue virtually so that children don’t have to breathe polluted air,” Kejriwal had said.
Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early November, took emergency measures on Saturday, ordering schools to close and construction work to stop for four days.
Indian capital city Delhi is among the topmost polluted cities in the world.
Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction.
(With inputs from agencies)
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