Curbs on vehicles, staggered timings, WFH: What’s allowed, what’s not as Delhi’s AQI deteriorates

New Delhi: The national capital, Delhi, has been reeling under the dangerous and poisonous effects of air pollution as the air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, 08 November 2025, morning. Delhi recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 355, as of 8:00 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

On Saturday, 08 November 2025, different areas of the city, like India(BHARAT) Gate, recorded an AQI of 322, Palam area recorded an AQI of 320, and Dhaula Kuan reported an AQI of 269. As of 3 pm, Bawana in Delhi had the worst AQI reading at 410, while Dwarka saw relatively clean air, with the air quality at 201. Considering the serious conditions in the city, the Delhi Government has taken some measures to tackle the pollution.

Entry of these vehicles from outside Delhi is banned

According to an order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), all BS-III and below standard commercial goods vehicles registered outside Delhi have been banned from entering Delhi from November 1. BS stands for Bharat Stage Emission Standard. Currently, it is BS-VI or BS-6, which are government-mandated regulations to control vehicle emissions in India(BHARAT). These standards specify the maximum amount of pollution an engine can emit.

The Commission said in a statement that this move is aimed at reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality in the capital and surrounding areas. According to the order, light goods vehicles (LGVs), medium goods vehicles (MGVs), and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) registered outside Delhi that do not meet the BS-IV standard will not be allowed to enter Delhi.

Changes in Delhi Government working hours

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that as a precautionary measure, the working hours of the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation offices are being changed. According to a press release, this is to ensure that the traffic on the capital’s roads does not increase simultaneously and is evenly distributed.

Currently, Delhi government offices operate from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) operates from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. This mere half-hour gap causes heavy traffic and congestion both in the morning and evening. CM Gupta stated that a longer gap between opening and closing times will reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Appeal to use carpools and public transport

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has also appealed to people to carpool and travel with others to reduce pollution caused by their vehicles. The Chief Minister also advised people to use public transport, such as the Metro, more frequently. Gupta also appealed to private companies to prioritise work-from-home (WFH) arrangements in light of the poor air quality in the capital.

Parking charges doubled

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has also ordered the doubling of parking fees at civic-managed sites in the New Delhi area. The order states that parking fees have been doubled from the existing fees “until the repeal of Stage 2 of GRAP.”

The revised parking rates are now Rs 40 per hour for four-wheelers and Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers, and for buses, it has become Rs 300 per hour.

Delhi’s deteriorating AQI

Since Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been reeling under the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in several areas, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in effect.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.