New Delhi – In a bid to tackle rising air pollution, Delhi’s chief minister, Rekha Gupta, announced this week that government and municipal offices will switch to staggered working hours. The change comes as the capital’s air quality is set to worsen from mid‑November to mid‑February 2026.
Currently, most state agencies run from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) stays open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The narrow 30‑minute overlap meant that many commuters hit traffic at the same time, making rush‑hour congestion and pollution peak even higher.
Under the new timetable, government offices will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 6:30 p.m., while MCD will start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 5:00 p.m. The shift is designed to spread traffic more evenly across the day, reducing the number of vehicle trips that pile up around the same time.
Rekha Gupta said the move was precautionary, stressing the need to act before crises spike. “We are not waiting for a problem to hit the city; we are taking proactive steps to improve air quality,” she told reporters after a meeting with senior scientists from the Department of Environment.
Experts say that during winter, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ concentrations balloon, posing serious health risks. Staggering office hours could ease traffic jams that contribute to these pollutants, according to the chief minister, who urged officials to enforce the new schedule strictly throughout the cold season.
The government has implemented similar tactics in past emergencies, and this time the focus is on creating a smoother traffic flow to tackle Delhi’s historic smog problem. Officials will monitor traffic patterns and emissions closely to gauge the impact.
With Delhi’s air quality on a downward trend as winter approaches, the staggered schedule is a small but significant step toward cleaner skies and smoother commutes. Residents can expect less congestion on major arteries and a modest improvement in local air pollution indicators.
The city’s municipal authorities and staff are being briefed on the new timings, and a deadline of the end of February 2026 has been set for the policy to take full effect.
Source: ianslive
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