Kathmandu, Dec 17: With air pollution in Delhi reaching the severe category, the Delhi government has announced emergency measures, including the closure of offline school classes and 50 percent work-from-home arrangements across offices.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said the government had taken two major decisions in response to the worsening situation. “Employees will work from home. Secondly, Rs 10,000 will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of all affected registered and certified construction workers after construction activities are halted,” he said.

The issue has also sparked strong reactions in India’s Parliament during the winter session. Uttar Pradesh MP Chandrashekhar Azad arrived at the parliament premises carrying placards reading, “The air is poisonous, the government is collapsing.” He said the Air Quality Index (AQI) had crossed 450 and questioned why authorities were not taking adequate action, adding that the people of Delhi deserve clean air.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Ashok Mittal also criticized the situation, saying Delhi’s AQI had touched 500 and accusing the government of inaction.

Despite the measures, Delhi’s air quality remained poor on Wednesday, with an AQI of 328, compared to 377 on Tuesday. A thick layer of smog covered the city, and by 9 a.m., air quality at 30 out of 40 monitoring stations remained in the “very bad” category.