Work from home for Gurugram, Faridabad private offices to beat smog
In the absence of any respite in the air quality and pollution, the authorities of twin NCR cities Gurugram and Faridabad today issued an advisory to all corporates and private offices to switch to the work-from-home mode for at least 50 per cent of the workforce.
They cited the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 4 norms, which call for work from home for at least 50 per cent of the workforce in all offices to reduce vehicular load on the road and curtail emissions.
The step, according to Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar, will not just help reduce the pollution but will also keep people away from smog.
“It’s not just about reducing the vehicular load, but also ensuring that the ongoing pollution crisis doesn’t transform into a health crisis. Giving the work-from-home option to people will help them stay away from smog and its harmful effects. The schools have been closed and people have been advised to keep children and seniors indoors, especially during the morning and evening hours. We are also emphasising on the strict implementation of the GRAP rules. The defaulters are being challaned and fined,” said Ajay Kumar.
The Gurugram and Faridabad authorities have to an extent managed to curtail the construction activity by big builders, but dealing with relatively small-scale construction is proving to be a major challenge for them.
The twin cities received over 50 complaints of GRAP violations today, a majority pertaining to unchecked construction activity on sites ranging from 200 sq yards to 500 sq yards. “Smaller sites are a major concern right now as a majority of the complaints are from there. These sites don’t count themselves as projects and many owners are ignorant about the GRAP norms. These are a major cause of dust pollution and we are challaning the defaulters,” said Vijay Chaudhary, Regional Officer (South), Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Gurugram.
Meanwhile, developers said they were willing to cooperate with government agencies in adhering to the GRAP-4 norms, but the authorities must do a rethink on the blanket ban on the construction activity.
They have written to the Commission for Air Quality Management, saying that the ban would not only impact the project timelines but also the budget and developers’ obligations to financial institutions.
They demanded that RERA-compliant projects should be exempted from the GRAP guidelines.
G Hari Babu, national president of the National Real Estate Development Council, said RERA-approved projects, “which adhere to stringent pollution-control measures”, should not be grouped under this blanket ban.
“These projects already comply with strict environmental norms, ensuring minimal dust and pollution during their execution,” he said.
Will reduce pollution
Giving the work-from-home option to people will not just reduce pollution but will also help them stay away from smog and its harmful effects. — Ajay Kumar, Gurugram DC
