New Delhi, Dec. 23 -- Delhi government on Monday warned of strict action against all offices failing to comply with the 50% work-from-home mandate under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). The directive is part of a renewed push to curb vehicular emissions and tighten enforcement against polluters, with a focus on WFH compliance and crackdown on e-rickshaws on city roads to ease traffic congestion. Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised a zero-tolerance approach toward pollution violations. "We have been made aware that some private companies are not complying with the work-from-home directive and strict action will be taken against such offices. Citizens' convenience is important, but public health is non-negotiable," Sirsa said on Monday. The WFH mandate has been enforced twice this winter -- the first was a two-day period on November 25 and 26, while the second was enforced on December 18, and continues to be in place right now. However, enforcement has proven challenging, as offices remain open and authorities struggle to verify whether more than half of employees are working remotely on any given day. With traffic volumes refusing to dip significantly despite the order, the government has now signalled a tougher approach, warning that violations will invite legal action. The government has also sharpened its focus on vehicular pollution through tighter enforcement of Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms. Sirsa said more than 200,000 vehicles have undergone PUC tests since the "No PUC, no fuel" rule came into effect last week. Experts, however, say the enforcement and implementation of the plan is difficult. "It is also an issue of awareness and the turn-around time for implementation in private offices is sometimes too short. If we use the forecast mechanism and tell offices in advance that a poor spell is coming, then they will be better equipped to plan their rosters," said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalyst. Chief minister Rekha Gupta, who on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting on pollution control with Sirsa and senior officials from the environment department, transport department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and traffic police, announced a series of additional steps to curb congestion and emissions. A key concern flagged was the unchecked growth of e-rickshaws on city roads. Gupta said "uncontrolled e-rickshaws" were a major contributor to traffic snarls, which in turn lead to higher fuel consumption and emissions. "To address this, the Delhi government will soon issue new e-rickshaw guidelines regulating operating areas and routes to ensure smoother traffic flow," Gupta said, adding that better regulation would help reduce congestion-linked pollution. Gupta also announced that the PUC challan regime would be made "more stringent" by "eliminating the scope for waivers". At present, polluting vehicles face fines of up to Rs.10,000, but vehicle owners often approach Lok Adalats to get penalties reduced, diluting the deterrent effect. "Henceforth, no pollution challan will be waived under any circumstances," Gupta said. To improve the credibility of PUC testing, Sirsa said all PUC centres would be upgraded with modern, high-capacity equipment to reduce delays and ensure accurate emission readings. Sirsa warned that industrial units found violating air-pollution norms would be sealed immediately without further notice. Industries that fail to apply for mandatory environmental certifications by December 31 will also face legal action, he said. The government is also exploring partnerships with aggregator companies such as Ola and Uber to operate pooled electric or pollution-free buses across Delhi-NCR. Sirsa also took a swipe at the previous Delhi government, alleging technical failures, including issues with Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras meant to aid enforcement. "Those who ruled Delhi for ten years and left behind a legacy of pollution, mismanagement, and corruption now appear in the city only for photo opportunities and movie screenings." Hitting back, the AAP Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj said the minister did not know that traffic police high-speed cameras are installed by the Delhi Police, which functions under the central government and falls under the Union home ministry....