To reduce vehicular congestion on the roads in the city that contributes to pollution, the Delhi government on Friday announced that all the government offices in the national capital would run on staggered timings.
Announcing this decision on X, Chief Minister Atishi posted, “To reduce traffic congestion and the resulting pollution, government offices across Delhi will operate at staggered timings”.
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She further wrote in the post that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) office would run from 8:30 am to 5 pm while Central government offices would function from 9 am to 5:30 pm and Delhi government offices from 10 am to 6:30 pm.
This initiative by the AAP government aims to alleviate traffic congestion during peak hours in the morning and evening, thereby contributing to a significant reduction in vehicle-induced pollution.
It is noteworthy that the revised timings are part of the GRAP-III (Graded Response Action Plan) restrictions implemented in the city starting Wednesday to control rising pollution levels.
The announcement came a day after the invocation of GRAP-III restrictions at a time when the city has been in the grip of severe air pollution for almost a month with the AQI level hovering between severe and very poor categories.
Measures taken under stage III include a ban on construction and demolition activities as per the rules laid out by the CAQM. The actions also include intensifying the frequency of mechanized sweeping of roads, ensuring daily water sprinkling along with dust suppressants, before peak traffic hours on roads and including hotspots, and heavy traffic corridors.