Delhi’s fight against winter smog has a new shape: a permanent, pre-dated framework that switches on every year from November 1 to February 28. Here is what changes, and when.

From November 1, dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction are banned until January 31. The strictest phase runs December 10 to January 20, when all construction and demolition stops. Essential public infrastructure and emergency works are exempt.

Offices, both government and private, must run at 50 per cent physical attendance from November 1, with the rest working from home. Parking charges at authorised sites double, except at Delhi Metro facilities. Office timings are staggered to spread traffic.

The plan, first notified in July, also mandates year-round pollution-under-control checks for vehicles and adds district dashboards to track hotspots. The shift matters: earlier, curbs were announced only after the air had already turned toxic. Now the dates are fixed in advance, giving builders, employers and commuters time to plan.