Delhi Implements 50% Staff Cap for Govt & Private Offices Under GRAP Stage 3

The direction was issued by the Environment Department under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to all Delhi government offices and private establishments operating in the national capital.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: November 25, 2025 04:19 AM IST

3 min read

The remaining employees must work from home as pollution levels remain high.

Delhi has imposed a 50% cap on physical attendance for all government and private offices under GRAP Stage 3. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)

Following an advisory from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), authorities in Delhi have asked all government and private organisations functioning from the national capital to implement staggered working hours and “mandatorily” implement “work from home” for half their staff.

An order to this effect, issued by the Environment Department Monday, cited sections of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and referred to measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

“Vehicular emissions contribute a lot to air pollution and it is felt that there needs to be more curbs on their movement. Thus, the government is required to take necessary measures to reduce emissions arising from transport and office-related activities during GRAP Stage lll,” said an official.

The order, signed by Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Secretary (Environment & Forests), stated: “All private offices functioning within NCT of Delhi shall operate with not more than 50% staff physically attending the workplace. The remaining staff shall mandatorily work from home.”

All private organisations have also been asked to implement staggered working hours where feasible, ensure strict compliance with work-from-home norms and minimise office commutes. Top officials in government offices and departments have been asked to attend office with not more than 50 per cent staff physically present.

“The remaining 50% staff shall work from home, provided that the Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments can call officers/ officials to office, as required to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential and emergency public services,” the order stated.

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“Prisons, public transport, electricity, water, sanitation and related municipal services, disaster management and related services, forest, environment, department/ agencies engaged in air pollution control, monitoring and enforcement activities (like teams deployed to curb biomass burning, dust control, GRAP measures etc.) and other essential/ emergency services shall stand exempted from these direction,” the order stated.

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Earlier, the CAQM, which is the main pollution control watchdog for the region, formally revised the GRAP schedule, bringing measures such as staggered timings, expanded public transport and the option of work-from-home at lower pollution levels than earlier.

Officials said the LG has already approved the implementation of staggered office timings for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and government departments, and amendments by the CAQM.

All organisations, District Magistrates and District Deputy Commissioners of Police as well as other authorities concerned have been asked to implement the directions with immediate effect. The DMs, DCPs and local bodies have been directed to ensure compliance of the directions by all private offices functioning within the NCT of Delhi.

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