Civil servants may switch to remote work when air quality worsens

In Uzbekistan, civil servants may now be transferred to a remote work format when air quality deteriorates. This is stated in the presidential decree adopted on March 25 this year, titled “On measures to implement the nationwide ‘Clean Air’ project aimed at improving atmospheric air quality.”

According to the document, within one month, an action procedure, or algorithm, will be developed for situations involving a sharp deterioration in atmospheric air quality.

In particular, when air quality reaches a hazardous level, a system will be introduced for rapidly alerting the public through SMS notifications, mass media, and digital platforms, as well as for providing official information based on different risk levels.

Measures to protect the population will also be defined. These include limiting time spent outdoors, especially recommending that children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses stay at home, temporarily canceling outdoor activities at educational institutions, restricting public events, and, when necessary, changing work arrangements in state organizations or shifting them to a remote format.

In addition, rapid response measures will be introduced in the industrial, energy, construction, and transport sectors. These include оперативe inspections of pollution sources, restricting the use of mazut at energy enterprises, except during extreme temperatures, temporarily reducing or suspending emissions at industrial facilities, limiting construction work, reducing transport movement, and suppressing dust by operating fountains and spraying water on trees and roadsides.

It is worth noting that earlier it was reported that the same decree provides for stronger protection of atmospheric air in the construction sector and stricter environmental requirements in Uzbekistan. It also includes plans to introduce artificial rain technology in Tashkent. By the end of this year, all vehicles in Tashkent are also expected to receive eco-stickers.