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    • How Delhi’s pollution is affecting the national capital’s workforce – Firstpost
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    How Delhi’s pollution is affecting the national capital’s workforce – Firstpost

    Umito Posted on

    Delhi is choking once again, as air quality plunges to dangerously low levels, the national capital and its surrounding cities are shrouded in a suffocating haze.

    As of 7 am on Friday, Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 376 and remained in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It comes like
    GRAP Step 4 is being implemented in the city, as the AQI dropped to “severe plus” earlier this week.

    In response to this crisis, several administrations and certain private companies are increasing measures to preserve the health of their employees and minimize their exposure to toxic pollution.

    Meanwhile, daily wage workers struggle as they have no choice but to engage in toxic pollution to earn a living for their families.

    Here is a detailed analysis of how different workers were affected by the pollution.

    Staggered hours in government offices

    The central government on Thursday changed the working hours of its employees in Delhi in response to the severe air pollution.

    An official directive has advised various central government ministries, departments and organizations to adopt staggered office hours in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi.

    The new schedule allows government offices to operate from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It also encouraged employees to carpool and use public transportation more.

    “These measures may be adopted by ministries/departments/organizations based on their functional requirements, ensuring that they do not have any negative impact on efficiency and productivity in any manner,” it said. ‘prescription.

    The central government has changed the working hours of its employees in Delhi in response to severe air pollution. PTI

    The move follows a recent appeal by Central Secretariat (CSS) officials, who had urged the government to introduce work-from-home options, flexible hours and air purifiers in offices to combat risks health risks posed by high levels of pollution.

    In a letter to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the CSS Forum highlighted that poor air quality was affecting productivity at the workplace, with employees facing problems such as respiratory problems, eye irritation, fatigue and general discomfort.

    Also read:
    Out of breath in Delhi: how air pollution continued to rise during hospital visits

    Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a change in working hours, along with a move to allow half of the staff in Delhi government offices to work remotely.

    Flexible hours, WFH policy

    Indian companies are stepping up efforts to tackle air pollution on a larger scale.

    The Haryana government on Tuesday issued a temporary work-from-home directive for corporate offices and private institutions in Gurugram, a key commercial and industrial hub, until further notice.

    Pawan Prabhat, co-founder of Gurugram-based Shorthills AI, said: India Times“Our company has always followed a flexible hybrid working model, offering employees the option to work from home depending on factors such as traffic, pollution or other road conditions…employees have been encouraged to take extra care and those who were not feeling well were allowed to work from home.

    Several other companies in Delhi and neighboring cities have come up with similar options or adopted measures such as installing air purifiers for staff in indoor offices.

    Indian companies are stepping up efforts to tackle air pollution on a larger scale. They offered WFH and flexible working hours to their employees. PTI

    According to an October 2024 study cited by Business todayIndian companies are increasingly taking steps to combat air pollution. The study, conducted by Dr Jabir Ali and Dr Muqbil Burhan of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Jammu, found that 44.3% of Indian companies have implemented strategies to reduce their environmental footprint.

    The study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production surveyed 9,376 companies across the country and noted that larger, more established companies, particularly those with shareholder support, investments in research and development and quality certifications, lead the charge in pollution control.

    Also read:
    Is artificial rain the answer to Delhi’s air crisis?

    Daily workers suffer

    As the air quality index reaches dangerous levels, many residents are choosing to stay indoors. However, for
    daily workers, staying indoors is not an option: they must face toxic air all day to earn a living and provide for their families.

    With construction activities halted in Delhi under GRAP-4 guidelines, these workers are gripped by anxiety, fearing that loss of income will leave their children without food.

    With construction activities halted in Delhi under GRAP-4 guidelines, daily wage workers fear that loss of income will leave their children without food. File Image/PTI

    Suman, 45, a mother of two, shared her concerns with PTI, “If we stay at home, what will we eat? What are we going to feed our children with? » She recently renewed her work card, hoping to get help from the government, but says it was in vain.

    “We don’t have government jobs where salaries come automatically. We survive on our daily income, and without work we have nothing,” she added, highlighting the harsh reality many people like her face.

    With the contribution of agencies

    Umito
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