The Delhi government unveiled a multi‑layered winter pollution strategy on Thursday, setting its core actions to take effect on Nov 1 and run through Feb 28, 2027.
Parking fees for all Delhi vehicles will double starting Nov 1, a move aimed at discouraging private car use during the peak pollution months.
All construction and demolition activity will be prohibited for a set number of weeks during the same period, a curfew designed to cut down on the fine dust that plagues the capital each winter.
Government and private offices will operate under staggered schedules: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices will run from 8:30 am to 5 pm, while Delhi government offices will open at 10 am and close at 6:30 pm. Half of the workforce at each establishment will work from home during this window, a 50 % telecommuting mandate that will commence on Nov 1 and end on Feb 28, 2027.
The policy follows a history of attempts to tackle Delhi’s winter haze, from the odd‑even vehicle restriction to recent efforts to curb crop‑residue fires in Punjab and Haryana.
Enforcement will begin immediately, with traffic police expected to monitor roadside parking and municipal inspectors overseeing construction bans across the city.
The plan’s success will be judged by a projected drop in particulate matter levels, as measured by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee in the coming months.