Amid deteriorating air quality, Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi announced on Thursday that primary schools across the national capital would transition to online classes.
“Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions,” she stated in a post on X.
Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions.
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) November 14, 2024
This announcement followed the Delhi government’s decision to implement the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Friday morning, aimed at curbing air pollution levels.
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Under GRAP Stage III restrictions, construction and demolition activities are banned, as well as the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles.
GRAP for the National Capital Region (NCR) organizes air quality responses into four stages based on severity: Stage I – ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘severe plus’ (AQI >450). As of Thursday, the air quality in Delhi remained within the “severe” category for the second consecutive day.
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On Wednesday, Delhi recorded the highest AQI in the country, marking the season’s first instance of ‘severe’ air quality.
Earlier, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai attributed the worsening conditions to a combination of low wind speeds and a temperature drop that has kept pollutants trapped in the atmosphere.
At a press conference, Rai noted a shift in weather patterns over the past two days. He explained that wind speeds are likely to increase between Friday and Saturday, potentially easing pollution levels. “…It is predicted that there will be a decrease in the level of pollution due to rising temperatures… Overall, there is a chance that the level of pollution which was increased, will get decreased,” Rai told ANI.
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