Policy
CAQM’s 5–20 November 2026 Restrictions: Construction and Office Attendance
The brief of the 5–20 November ban on construction activities, other restrictions and exceptions, and the narrower office-attendance condition for Delhi and five NCR districts.
Contents
- Which construction activities face restrictions?
- Which project categories are exempted?
- Where does the 50% office-attendance condition apply?
- What should contractors and employers do before 5 November?
- Frequently asked questions
- Does a construction site below 500 m² get an exemption?
- Are highways and other public works automatically exempt?
- Does the office-attendance condition cover the whole NCR?
- Must exactly 50% of employees attend the office?
- Does this order announce an industrial or school shutdown?
- Original sources: download the order and read the announcement
Key takeaways
Who this is for: NCR contractors, project proponents, employers, HR teams and environmental professionals
- The signed order specifies 5–20 November 2026; the 15 November filename label is incorrect.
- Dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction restrictions cover the entire NCR, with listed project exceptions.
- The office clause covers State Government and private offices in Delhi NCT and five named districts: up to 50% physical attendance, remaining staff working from home.
- The industrial and essential-service exception retains the condition that the arrangement is not feasible.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has ordered precautionary pollution-control measures for 5–20 November 2026. Its Official order dated 30 October restricts dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction across the National Capital Region (NCR). It also caps physical attendance at covered State Government and private offices at 50% of staff strength, with the remaining staff working from home.
The office condition covers Delhi and five named districts, rather than the entire NCR.
CAQM describes these measures as preventive and limited to a specified period and area. It cites the recurring November pollution pattern and weather conditions that limit dispersion as the reason for advance intervention. This order schedules precautions; it does not itself announce Stage III or IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Which construction activities face restrictions?
Paragraph 6(i) restricts dust-generating demolition and outdoor construction activities throughout the NCR. It expressly extends the restriction to linear public projects, including:
- Highways and roads.
- Flyovers and overbridges.
- Power transmission projects.
- Pipelines and telecommunication projects.
Public ownership or a linear layout alone does not put a project outside this Construction clause (page 2). The order specifically includes these projects while separately listing exceptions.
The temporary restriction contains no 500 m² threshold. A project cannot use the dust-portal registration threshold as an exemption from this order. The clause identifies activities and exceptions, not a minimum plot size.
Which project categories are exempted?
The construction clause lists projects related to:
- Railways.
- Metro Services.
- Airports.
- Inter State Bus Terminals.
- Hospitals.
- Water Supply and Sanitation.
- National security or defence-related activities.
- Projects of national importance.
If a project appears to fall under both a listed exception and the linear-project restriction, seek clarification from the competent authority before relying on the exception. This article does not determine the classification of an individual project.
Where does the 50% office-attendance condition apply?
Paragraph 6(ii) covers State Government and private offices in:
- The National Capital Territory of Delhi.
- Gurugram district.
- Faridabad district.
- Sonipat district.
- Ghaziabad district.
- Gautam Buddha Nagar district.
Covered offices must operate with up to 50% of staff attending physically, while the remaining staff work from home. “Up to” sets a ceiling; it does not require exactly half the staff to attend. The order refers to staff strength, not seating capacity. Office clause, page 2
The office condition has a narrower geography than the construction restriction. It does not automatically cover every office in every NCR district. Its wording identifies State Government and private offices; it should not be expanded into a claim about all Central Government offices or schools.
The clause excepts such industrial establishments and essential services where this arrangement is not feasible. Keep that qualification. It is neither an instruction to close every industrial establishment nor an unconditional exemption for every organisation describing itself as essential.
What should contractors and employers do before 5 November?
Contractors should revise the schedule of affected demolition and outdoor construction for the specified period. Identify any claimed exception against the order’s actual categories. Resolve an uncertain classification with the authority instead of treating a general description such as “public project” as permission to proceed.
Employers should first confirm whether the office falls within the listed jurisdictions. For a covered office, prepare attendance arrangements that keep physical attendance within the stated ceiling and provide work from home for the remaining staff. Assess any industrial or essential-service exception against its feasibility qualification. The order does not prescribe a new roster form or a separate filing deadline.
Check for amendments before the period begins. Before restarting affected work after 20 November, check the orders then applicable, including relevant GRAP and individual project directions. The end date of this particular measure does not certify permission under every other requirement.
For background on other construction obligations, read our CAQM Direction 97 explainer. Use the Knowledge Hub for related regulatory articles. Those requirements address separate questions; a receipt, registration or other approval does not replace this dated restriction.
Frequently asked questions
Does a construction site below 500 m² get an exemption?
The 30 October order gives no such size-based exemption. Its construction clause restricts the specified activities across NCR, subject to its listed project exceptions. Do not transfer the separate portal-registration threshold into this temporary restriction.
Are highways and other public works automatically exempt?
No. The order expressly includes linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, power transmission, pipelines and telecommunication. Examine the listed exceptions and obtain clarification for an uncertain project classification.
Does the office-attendance condition cover the whole NCR?
No. It covers NCT Delhi and the five named districts: Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. The construction restriction covers the entire NCR; the office clause uses this narrower list.
Must exactly 50% of employees attend the office?
No. Physical attendance is capped at up to 50% of staff strength, with the remaining staff working from home. The feasibility-qualified exception for specified industrial establishments and essential services remains part of the clause.
Does this order announce an industrial or school shutdown?
It restricts specified construction activities and sets an office-attendance condition. It does not announce a general industrial or school shutdown. Check any separate orders applicable to the establishment or activity.
Information checked as of: 2026-11-02T15:40:36+05:30 (IST).
Original sources: download the order and read the announcement
The first link opens the official three-page PDF. Use your browser’s Download or Save command. The second opens the official announcement webpage; the signed order supplies the detailed conditions.
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