CM Gupta Shifts Work Timings to Ease Pollution and Congestion

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta took decisive action on Friday, announcing staggered working hours for all Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices effective from November 15 to February 15. The initiative aims to dismantle the city's notorious peak-hour traffic jams, a primary driver of winter air pollution that regularly pushes the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘severe’ category. By spreading out employee commutes, authorities intend to reduce vehicular emissions at critical times, offering a structural solution to a seasonal environmental emergency that has plagued the national capital for years.

Under the new schedule, Delhi government offices will shift operations from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, while MCD offices will begin earlier at 8:30 am and close at 5:00 pm. This replaces the current uniform timings—government offices from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm and MCD from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm—which create a dangerously narrow 30-minute window between opening and closing rushes. Transport experts have long criticized this overlap, noting that over 80% of the city’s 11 million registered vehicles hit the roads simultaneously, leading to prolonged idling, higher fuel consumption, and elevated levels of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides, the chief culprits behind Delhi’s toxic smog.

The decision comes as Delhi battles yet another winter of deteriorating air quality, with slow wind speeds failing to disperse pollutants and farm fires in neighboring Punjab and Haryana adding to the burden. Recent data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded AQI levels consistently above 350 in early November, triggering school closures, construction bans, and odd-even vehicle schemes in previous years. Officials believe that even a 15–20% reduction in peak-hour traffic volume could lower local emissions by up to 10%, providing critical breathing room for residents already suffering from respiratory illnesses and reduced visibility.

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While the measure applies only to public sector employees—approximately 400,000 across state and municipal bodies—its impact is expected to be significant. Major corridors like Ring Road, NH-44, and the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, which see over 300,000 vehicles during morning peaks, should experience smoother flow. The Delhi Traffic Police has been directed to monitor compliance and adjust signal timings accordingly. Environmentalists have welcomed the move but urged the government to extend staggered hours to private companies, educational institutions, and commercial hubs in Noida and Gurgaon, which contribute substantially to cross-border commuting.

This is not Delhi’s first experiment with time-based traffic management. Similar trials during the 2016 smog crisis and the 2022 GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) implementation yielded mixed results due to poor enforcement and limited scope. However, CM Gupta’s administration has pledged real-time monitoring through the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) and public dashboards to track improvements in both traffic speed and air quality. If successful, the model could be adopted year-round or expanded regionally, setting a precedent for other polluted metropolitan cities across India facing similar winter smog crises.

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