India's capital announces permanent anti-pollution curbs for toxic winter months

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The government of India's national capital territory of Delhi has announced a spate of measures to curb air pollution during winter, ‌months ahead of the annual season when the city often becomes the world's most polluted.

Government data from the last three years indicates that Delhi's air quality deteriorates from November 1 to February 15, when the average air quality ⁠index (AQI) generally ranges from 312 to 342. An AQI of 0-50 is considered to be "good". Authorities earlier imposed anti-pollution measures during this period according to a graded action plan when air quality dropped below a certain level. Under the new curbs announced on Wednesday, they will now be in place continuously from November 1 to February 28, irrespective of AQI. These include doubling of ‌parking ⁠charges to discourage use of private vehicles, staggered timings at all government offices, and a ban on all outdoor civil construction activity except essential public infrastructure projects. Between November 1 and January 31, all ⁠government and private offices will also be mandated to operate with half their staff physically present and the rest working from home. Violators will ⁠face penal action, including prosecution, the announcement said. The government this week also announced a cash incentive of over $1,000 to car ⁠owners willing to scrap their old vehicles for EVs as part of a new policy aimed at reducing pollution.