Delhi: Schools closed, 50% to work from home as AQI plummets to 'severe' category

New Delhi: The Delhi government, after the air quality plunged into the "Severe" category, has announced that all the primary schools will remain closed and 50 percent of Delhi government officers will work from home starting tomorrow. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai made the announcements on Friday as the air pollution in the national capital has been getting worse.

In his announcement, he also advised all private offices to allow half of their staff to work from home. "Instead of playing the blame game, this is the time to find a solution to the issue. Alleging Kejriwal or the Punjab government won't help," Kejriwal said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Apart from the above restrictions, the government has come up with different guidelines to be implemented through out the period until the air quality in Delhi returns to normal.

A plan for shops and offices

"Revenue commissioners will draught a plan for shops and offices, and special task forces will be placed to control air pollution at hotspots in Delhi," Rai said.

An official study has revealed that in Delhi's PM 2.5 pollution, stubble burning in Punjab has contributed more than 34 percent.

Kejriwal accepted that their government was responsible for the stubble burning. The AAP minister said, "We have been in government for six months, and there are already issues to tackle. The government is finding solutions. We need at least a year to address the issue," Kejriwal said.

Bumper paddy harvest is responsible for increased stubble burning.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that bumper paddy harvests are responsible for increased stubble burning. However, he confirmed that the government is taking measures to curb the burning.

"We are taking measures, including imposing 1.20 lakh machines to bury stubble." To stop stubble burning, the rural governing bodies (Panchayats) have also passed resolutions. "The stubble burning will be under control by November next year," Mann said.

For a second consecutive day on Friday, the air quality index in Delhi continued to remain in the "severe" category. SAFAR, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, issued the date confirming the status.