The Central Pollution Control Board on Friday advised private and government offices in Delhi and the National Capital Region to allow employees to work from home, Hindustan Times reported. The board also urged people to carpool to work, and asked schools to provide transport services to students.

The board’s recommendations came amid deteriorating air quality levels in the national capital. On Tuesday, the Air Quality Index fell to the “very poor” category. The overall air quality index in Delhi stood at 270 at 4 pm on Tuesday while it was 316 in Ghaziabad and 308 in Greater Noida. An Air Quality Index reading from zero to 50 is considered to be good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is considered to be moderate, a reading between 201 to 300 is poor, 301-400 is considered “very poor” and air quality between 401-500 is severe.

At 4 pm on Friday, the Air Quality Index reading was 248, according to the pollution control board.

An action plan to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region was enforced on Tuesday. The plan includes a ban on diesel generator sets, and intensified vacuum and water-cleaning of roads.

On Friday, the Central Pollution Control Board’s Graded Response Action Plan task force conducted a meeting of various government agencies, where it made several recommendations. The recommendations are meant for the oncoming winter season, when pollution levels in Delhi are at their highest.

“These recommendations are advisory in nature, but such participation from the public will go a long way in controlling the air quality,” said Central Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Prashant Gargava.

The Aam Aadmi Party-led government has decided to implement the odd-even scheme from November 4 to 15, a week after Diwali. The scheme prohibits plying of vehicles based on the last digit of their registration numbers – vehicles with odd digits are not allowed on even dates and vice versa.

Now, follow and debate the day’s most significant stories on Scroll Exchange.