Rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR has begun to severely impact retail trade in the national capital, with a sharp decline in market footfall, traders' body Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said on Wednesday.
Brijesh Goyal, chaiman of CTI, said, "As the air quality in Delhi slipped into the 'severe' category and it got widespread coverage across television, newspapers and social media, people are increasingly cautious about stepping out, resulting in shoppers are avoiding markets. This has led to a visible slowdown in business activity." According to the CTI, while nearly three to four lakh people from the National Capital Region (NCR) earlier visited Delhi markets daily for shopping, the number has now dropped to around one lakh due to worsening pollution levels.
Goyal said the organisation has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, expressing concern over air pollution and its adverse impact on trade.
With Christmas and New Year approaching, markets usually witness good footfall, including those from other cities. But this time around, pollution has deterred people from visiting Delhi, he said.
The air pollution is not limited to Delhi alone, as AQI levels in NCR cities such as Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram and Sonipat have also reached the severe category, Goyal said, adding that the issue cannot be resolved by the Delhi government alone.
The CTI chairman added that while the Delhi government is making efforts at its level, freeing Delhi-NCR from pollution is not possible unless the governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi work together in a coordinated manner.
The CTI has urged the Union environment minister to convene an emergency meeting involving the chief ministers and environment ministers of Delhi and neighbouring states to address the issue.
The organisation said Delhi's nearly 20 lakh traders stand fully with the government and are willing to cooperate. If the government decides to stagger market opening hours, all market associations in Delhi are prepared to support the move, it said.
Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday announced Rs 10,000 in compensation for construction workers rendered unemployed due to the pollution-battling GRAP III and GRAP IV measures.
The minister also said all government and private institutions must mandatorily switch to work from home for 50 per cent of the staff from Thursday, or face action.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said GRAP III had been in place for 16 days, and workers affected by the restricted activity during the period will be compensated with Rs 10,000.
"Similarly, workers will be awarded compensation for the days GRAP IV will remain in place. These benefits will be extended to workers registered with the government. The registration process is ongoing," he said.
The measure excludes workers from hospitals, departments involved in the fight against air pollution, the fire department and other essential services.
The Delhi government has directed private offices in the national capital to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent staff physically present at workplaces, with the remaining employees required to work from home, in view of GRAP Stage IV restrictions due to severe air pollution.
However, exemptions have been granted in certain areas including public and private health establishments, transport, sanitation and emergency services.
According to the order, all private offices functioning within the National Capital Territory of Delhi must ensure that not more than half of their staff attend the workplace physically, while the rest work from home mandatorily.
Private entities have also been asked to implement staggered working hours wherever feasible, strictly comply with work-from-home norms and minimise vehicular movement related to office commuting, it stated.