Delhi air pollution: Companies swing into action with flexible working hours, consumers buy air-purifiers

With air quality levels deteriorating in the Delhi-NCR region due to alarming pollution levels, corporates have begun taking measures for employees such offering work from home option, flexible hours besides focusing on maintaining AQI levels at offices.

Consumers are making a beeline for air-purifiers and also restricting outdoor trips. Some industries such as real estate are witnessing a direct impact with construction paused due to implementation of GRAP IV measures as Delhi’s AQI levels touched “severe plus” levels on Sunday evening.

Companies said they are ensuring employees have choice to work from home. Irene Tan, Vice President, People & Culture, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, “At Coca-Cola, the wellbeing of our associates is a priority. We believe in empowering our employees to make their own decisions by offering flexible hours, remote work options, and access to satellite offices in other cities.”

• Also read: Bad weather: 5 flights diverted at Delhi airport

“Health of employees is of immense importance to us. The AQI level in our office is within limits. With regard to working from home, that option is always available to all colleagues as a part of Nestlé’s Hybrid policy,” said a Nestle India spokesperson said.

Jaideep Ahuja Chairman, CII Delhi State and Managing Director & CEO of Ahuja Residency Pvt. Ltd said, “It is is probably the most serious issue facing Delhi right now and has both health and commercial implications for the region. The impact of the restrictions imposed have far reaching consequence for sectors such as real estate and construction.”

“With no certainty on when things will resume, migrant workers often head home during this time. In fact, expat employees consider Delhi-NCR as a “hardship posting” as Delhi’s air pollution hits global headlines every year during winter.”

Ahuja pointed out that while corporates are taking measure by offering work from home , it is not possible for companies across sectors to offer the same. “Companies in the hospitality or retail sector cannot offer work from home options,” he added.

Demand for air-purifiers have soared in the past few days across the northern region. Mimoh Jain, Vice President, Sharp Business System India Pvt. Ltd, “Due to deteriorating weather conditions, we have seen substantial growth in demand for air purifiers. We have witnessed an overall growth by over 50 per cent in sales over last year, with 17 per cent of year-on-year growth coming from Punjab & UP, 30 per cent growth of sales happened in Rajasthan, 24 per cent increase in Himachal and 115 per cent surge of sales of air purifiers have been noticed in West Bengal.”

While Delhi-NCR region is leading the demand for air-purifiers, consumers in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai are also stocking up on air-purifiers.

Saurab Saharan, Group Managing Director, HCBS Developments, said, “A halt in construction pushes back delivery schedules, increases labour costs, strains our financial commitments and, most importantly, since we are not even sure of the duration and the frequency, lends an air of uncertainty. It affects our schedule, costs and planning. It has been estimated that a one-month stoppage of construction pushes the timeline by three months.”

Meanwhile, corporates and industry bodies have also been pitching in to solve the air-pollution crisis with more longer term solution. Take for instance, Nestle India, which is experimenting with biomass boiler-led solution. “We have a unique biomass boiler at Moga Factory, which will use briquettes made from stubble. We expect this will use 3-4 per cent of stubble in Moga district which would have been burnt otherwise,” a company spokesperson added.

• Also read: Delhi’s AQI nears 500; stubble burning, smog worsen air quality

(With inputs from Abhishek Law)