'Workers to receive ₹10,000 each, 50% work from home in government and private offices'; Delhi government's announcement on pollution.

In view of the pollution situation in the capital, Delhi, the government has taken two major decisions. Rs. 10,000 will be sent via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the accounts of all registered and verified construction workers affected by the halt in construction activities.

Under the second decision, 50 percent work from home will be mandatory in all government and private offices in Delhi, with exemptions for essential services such as healthcare. This information was provided by Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday.

The deteriorating pollution situation in Delhi

After remaining in the severe category for four consecutive days, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the very poor category on Wednesday. ​​A slight improvement in pollution levels was observed on Tuesday due to increased wind speed and a reduction in fog and smog in the morning. On Tuesday, pollution levels were recorded in the very poor category at almost all monitoring stations in Delhi.

The AQI in the capital was recorded at 427 on Monday, while it was 354 on Tuesday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a 73-point improvement in the AQI was recorded in 24 hours on Tuesday compared to Monday. ​​A slight improvement in pollution levels was observed in Delhi on Tuesday due to northwesterly winds blowing at a speed of 10 to 20 km per hour in several areas.

According to the CPCB, the air is considered normal only when the level of PM10 is below 100, and the level of PM2.5 is below 60. At 3 PM on Tuesday, the average level of PM10 in the NCR air was 276, and the average level of PM2.5 was 167 micrograms per cubic meter. This means that the level of pollutant particles in the air is still more than double the standard.

The air quality early warning system predicts that the wind speed will increase slightly over the next two days. The wind speed will be faster than ten km per hour during the day, and there will be bright sunshine. This will also accelerate the dispersion of pollutant particles. There will be a slight improvement in pollution levels, and the air quality will remain in the very poor category. However, the air in Delhi is not expected to become completely clean anytime soon.