The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed government and private offices in Delhi and five adjoining National Capital Region districts to implement a 50% work-from-home arrangement from November 5 to November 20.
Under the directive, offices must ensure no more than half their employees attend workplaces physically, with the remaining workforce working remotely. The measure covers Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, which includes Noida.
The precautionary order, dated October 30, aims to limit emissions and reduce pollution during a period when Delhi-NCR has historically recorded deteriorating air quality.
Industrial establishments and essential services where remote working arrangements are not feasible have been exempted from the attendance requirement.
Which offices and locations will be covered?
The CAQM directive applies to state government and private offices operating within the specified geographical areas. The arrangement requires employers to regulate physical attendance during the 16-day implementation period.
The five adjoining districts covered are:
Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat in Haryana.
Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, including Noida, in Uttar Pradesh.
Delhi, covering the entire National Capital Territory.
The order requires employers to keep physical attendance at or below 50% of their workforce, with the remaining employees working from home.
The restriction does not apply to industrial establishments and essential services where implementing remote working is not feasible.
Construction and demolition activities face restrictions
Alongside the workplace attendance requirement, CAQM has restricted dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities across the entire NCR between November 5 and November 20.
The restrictions also cover linear infrastructure projects, including highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission lines, pipelines and telecommunications infrastructure.
However, the Commission has exempted several essential infrastructure and public-service projects from the construction restrictions.
These exemptions include:
Railways and Metro services
Airports and inter-state bus terminals
Hospitals and healthcare infrastructure
Water supply and sanitation projects
National security and defence-related activities
Other projects classified as being of national importance
The New Indian Express reported that the Commission issued the directions under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021, which empowers it to take measures protecting and improving air quality across the region.
Why CAQM has introduced the restrictions
The Commission's decision follows an assessment of historical air quality data, which indicates recurring pollution spikes across Delhi-NCR during November.
According to the CAQM order, an examination of daily Air Quality Index (AQI) data between 2018 and 2025 showed elevated pollution levels, particularly during early and mid-November.
The Commission also noted that AQI levels had entered the severe and severe-plus categories on certain days during the period examined.
Several factors contribute to the seasonal deterioration in air quality:
Local emissions from vehicles and industrial activities.
Agricultural residue and biomass burning.
Low wind speeds and unfavourable meteorological conditions.
Reduced vertical mixing, which limits the dispersion of pollutants.
CAQM considers the restrictions preventive measures intended to reduce emissions at source and minimise pollutant accumulation.
Delhi's winter action plan already includes WFH measures
The latest directive comes alongside the Delhi government's separate Winter Action Plan for 2026-27, announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on October 20.
The plan will remain in force from November 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027, with a range of measures targeting vehicular and construction-related pollution.
The Delhi government has also included a work-from-home arrangement for 50% of employees in government and private offices, or remote working for two days a week, from November 1.
Other measures under the plan include:
Restrictions on non-Delhi petrol and diesel vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards.
A 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy for vehicles without valid pollution-under-control certificates.
Restrictions on dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities.
Revised working hours for Delhi government and municipal corporation offices.
Increased parking charges at authorised parking facilities.
The Indian Express reported that the measures will be implemented through coordination between the Delhi government, CAQM, Central Pollution Control Board and other agencies.
With the November 5 deadline approaching, government departments and private employers across the affected districts will need to plan staffing arrangements for the specified period. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in force until November 20, after which the temporary CAQM directions will conclude unless extended.
