India’s Delhi gov’t proposes work from home, weekend lockdown to tackle pollution

NEW DELHI: NOV. 16 – India’s Delhi municipal government on Tuesday proposed work-from-home for a week and a weekend lockdown among other steps at an emergency meeting to fight the pollution in the Indian capital city.

Apart from this, the Delhi government recommended a ban on construction and industrial activities.

The meeting of the federal government and representatives from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, among all stakeholders, was ordered by India’s top court to fight Delhi’s toxic air crisis that has forced the shutdown of schools.

“In today’s meeting with officials of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, we (Delhi govt) proposed that work from home should be implemented in National Capital Region (NCR),” Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai told media. “Construction work should be banned and industries should be shut too in NCR.”

Rai also said the Delhi government has proposed a weekend lockdown and they were ready for it.

“It depends on the court’s directions now,” he said.

Delhi government has been blaming stubble burning in the neighboring states for air pollution in the capital city.

On Monday the federal government told the court that stubble burning contributes to only 4 percent of air pollution.

Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early November, took emergency measures on Saturday, ordering schools to close and construction work to stop for four days.

Indian capital city Delhi is among the topmost polluted cities in the world.

Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction.

-Xinhua