In a decisive move to tackle the worsening air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Gurgaon district administration has issued a significant advisory, directing private institutions and corporate offices to implement work-from-home policies for their employees. This directive, announced on Sunday, comes into effect from December 22 and will remain until further notice.
CAQM Directives Trigger Action
The advisory from the Gurgaon administration is a direct response to the directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The commission has invoked Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR due to the deteriorating air quality. Under GRAP-IV, the CAQM has instructed state governments in the NCR and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to take measures to reduce public movement and emissions.
The central order mandates that public, municipal, and private offices should operate at 50% staff capacity. The remaining half of the workforce is to be permitted to work from home. This follows a similar mandate issued earlier in the week by the Delhi government for its own offices.
Revised Timings for Government Offices
Alongside the work-from-home advisory for the private sector, the Gurgaon administration has also announced revised office timings for all government establishments. This step is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and crowding during peak hours, which are major contributors to vehicular pollution.
Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar stated that these measures are crucial for the effective implementation of GRAP-IV and for lowering pollution levels in the region. The revised schedule is as follows:
- Offices under the Haryana state government in Gurgaon will function from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
- Offices under the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and the Municipal Corporation of Manesar will operate from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- The same timings (8:30 AM to 4:30 PM) will apply to the offices of the municipal councils in Sohna and Pataudi Mandi, as well as the municipal committee in Farrukhnagar.
The administration's order clarified that these revised timings will remain in force for the entire duration that GRAP-IV is active.
Rationale Behind the Measures
The official order explains the reasoning behind these interventions. The changes were made "with the objective of controlling air pollution levels by reducing vehicular movement, traffic congestion and overcrowding during peak hours." Officials highlighted that staggered office timings and work-from-home directives are key non-emergency interventions under the GRAP-IV framework.
These steps are considered particularly vital during the winter months, when meteorological conditions trap pollutants and vehicular emissions significantly worsen the air quality, leading to severe public health concerns.
Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar made a public appeal, urging residents, corporate offices, and all institutions to strictly comply with the GRAP-IV directions. He emphasized the need for collective cooperation with the administration in the larger public interest to combat the pollution crisis.
The combined strategy of enforced remote work and altered government office schedules represents Gurgaon's proactive attempt to mitigate one of the NCR's most persistent annual challenges—severe winter air pollution.
