To fight Delhi air pollution, CM announces staggered timings for govt offices

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday (November 7) announced staggered working hours for Delhi government and MCD employees from November 15 to February 15 in view of the city’s worsening pollution levels.

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According to an official statement, Delhi government offices will now operate from 10 am to 6.30 pm, while Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices will function from 8.30 am to 5 pm.

What are new office timings

Currently, Delhi government offices work between 9.30 am and 6 pm, and MCD offices from 9 am to 5.30 pm. The statement noted that with just a 30-minute gap between the two schedules, Delhi experiences severe traffic congestion during rush hours, further exacerbating the city's air pollution.

The move, described as a precautionary measure to help curb the problem of pollution, aims to ease the pressure of vehicular traffic on roads by spreading out traffic, thereby helping to reduce pollution levels.

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The CM stated that the decision followed a meeting with senior scientific officers from the Department of Environment to review the city’s deteriorating air quality.

Fine particulate matter poses serious risks

During winter, concentrations of pollutants such as PM 2.5 and PM 10 rise significantly above normal standards, severely deteriorating air quality and posing serious health risks, she said.

Particulate matter (PM) of size 10 microns and below, and particularly PM 2.5, have a harmful chemical composition that, once inhaled, can cause a range of health issues, the chief minister added.

Gupta explained that widening the gap between office timings of the two institutions would reduce the number of vehicles on the road at any given time, thereby assisting in pollution control.

Balancing traffic flow and air quality

Given that pollution levels are expected to rise between November 15 and February 15, 2026, the government has implemented new winter timings for offices to balance traffic flow and improve air quality.

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The chief minister directed officials to enforce the new timings strictly and to continuously monitor both traffic and pollution.

She expressed confidence that these measures would help bring the much-needed relief to Delhi’s residents.