AS CAQM Implemented GRAP III, Delhi High Court Ruled Out Work From Home Rights.

New Delhi; December 2025: The Commission for Air Quality Management on Saturday invoked

Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan and decided to impose curbs across the Delhi-NCR region due to deterioration in air quality in the national capital.

The order issued by the CAQM read,

“keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, in an effort to prevent further deterioration of the air quality, the Sub Committee on GRAP hereby decide to

invoke all actions under Stage-III ‘Severe’ Air Quality of Delhi, ranging

401-450 of extant schedule of GRAP, with immediate effect in right

earnest by all the agencies concerned in Delhi-NCR, in addition

to the Stage-I and II actions already in force“.

CAQM highlighted an increasing trend in Delhi’s AQI and noted that, in its earlier meeting on December 12, the Sub-Committee on GRAP reviewed the region’s deteriorating air quality and decided to keep a close watch on the situation. The change in the wind direction/pattern since yesterday and winds blowing easterly has further worsened the situation for the PM 2.5 concentrations, which is the predominant pollutant during the winter season and is on increasing trend.

Almost all the AQI stations in Delhi are showing PM 2.5 as the predominant pollutant and the AQI of Delhi has been recorded as 387 at 6:00 AM, 393 at 8:00 AM and recorded as 401 at 10:00 AM today already crossing the “Severe” category mark, the order highlighted.

Stage 3 of GRAP includes a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi and the NCR.

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Saturday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 393 around 8 am, placing it in the ‘Very Poor’ category, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The situation continues with the poor air quality observed on Friday. Several parts of the national capital remained enveloped in a dense layer of toxic smog, severely affecting visibility and causing discomfort to residents.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition filed by a Scientist-E employed with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), who alleged that construction and demolition activities were ongoing at the office premises in violation of GRAP norms, resulting in hazardous indoor air quality and respiratory distress, seeking a respite in the form of an order directing the authorities to allow “Work From Home”, has observed that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a regulatory mechanism to control pollution and not a source of individual service rights, the Delhi High Court has declined to grant work-from-home relief to a central government employee who alleged non-compliance with anti-pollution directions at his workplace.

Justice Sachin Datta held that while GRAP directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) must be implemented scrupulously, they cannot be construed as conferring

enforceable personal rights on employees against their employers, particularly in derogation of existing service conditions.

Rejecting these pleas, the Court noted that the GRAP provisions relating to work from home only vest discretion in the Central Government and do not impose a mandatory obligation. It further observed that the relevant GRAP Stage III provisions, under which work-from-home measures were contemplated, had already been revoked by the CAQM, effective November 26, 2025.

“There is no occasion for issuance of a mandamus for effectively altering applicable service conditions in the guise of compliance with GRAP orders”, the Court said, finding no merit in the petition.

However, taking note of the medical concerns raised by the petitioner, the Court clarified that he would be at liberty to seek a transfer out of Delhi on health grounds. It directed the employer to endeavour to consider such a request favourably, if made.

Team Maverick.