Delhi Implements Staggered Office Hours to Combat Winter Air Pollution and Reduce Traffic Congestion

The Delhi government is implementing a strategy to reduce air pollution by adjusting office hours during winter months.

New Delhi:

With winter bringing deteriorating air quality to Delhi, the city government is introducing staggered working hours for its departments and municipal offices to combat traffic congestion and reduce vehicle emissions.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday that starting November 15, Delhi Government offices will operate from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, while Municipal Corporation offices will function from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. This revised schedule will remain in effect until February 15, 2026, covering the period when the capital typically experiences peak air pollution levels.

"We aim to prevent simultaneous traffic buildup. Staggering office hours allows us to distribute vehicle movement throughout the day and reduce overall pollution," Gupta explained.

Currently, Delhi Government offices open at 9:30 am and Municipal Corporation offices at 9:00 am. This small 30-minute difference creates significant rush-hour congestion in both morning and evening. Officials stated that the new timing arrangement aims to spread out the daily traffic volume that contributes substantially to winter smog formation.

The decision follows a recent consultation between the Chief Minister and senior scientific officers from the Department of Environment, which examined Delhi's worsening air quality. The meeting highlighted that concentrations of particulate matter - both PM2.5 and PM10 - frequently exceed safe thresholds during winter when lower temperatures and stagnant atmospheric conditions trap pollutants close to ground level.

Gupta emphasized this initiative is part of a comprehensive approach to anticipate pollution surges rather than responding after they occur. "We're taking preemptive action rather than waiting for conditions to deteriorate," she said.

Officials noted that similar staggered shift approaches had been attempted during high-pollution periods in previous years, though implementation was sometimes inconsistent. For this initiative, departments have received instructions to strictly adhere to the new schedule and monitor its effects on both traffic patterns and air quality measurements.

Vehicle emissions rank among the most significant contributors to Delhi's winter smog, responsible for approximately 40% of PM2.5 levels during peak pollution days, according to research conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and SAFAR-India. Transport Department traffic data indicates that morning and evening rush hours coincide with the highest recorded pollution levels.

The government anticipates that the revised schedule will help flatten this pollution curve. "Even a modest adjustment in traffic flow can produce noticeable improvements in air quality," an official stated.

This initiative comes as air quality monitoring stations across Delhi continue to record readings in the "severe" category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 400 in multiple areas of Delhi this week.

Officials said the effectiveness of this winter work schedule will be evaluated at the end of the season to determine whether the measure should be continued in future years.