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

NEW DELHI - 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.

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 3:27 AM.