Air Pollution: Delhi Announces Online Classes For Primary Schools
As Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) are finding it difficult to breath due to the rising air pollution, Directorate of Education of Delhi government today announced online classes for all students till class five in schools under its jurisdiction.
“All the Heads of Govt., Govt. Aided and Unaided Private Recognized Schools of Directorate of Education (DoE), MCD, NDMC & DCB in Delhi are directed to discontinue physical classes in schools for children up to Class V. Heads of Schools are hereby directed to ensure classes in online mode for the students of these classes till further orders,” the order said.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced on social media about online classes for primary school students.
“Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions,” Atishi wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government is intensifying pollution control efforts as the city’s air quality reached a hazardous Air Quality Index (AQI) of 428 on Thursday morning. Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that measures under Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) would be enforced but that Stage 3 measures are currently unnecessary, with air quality expected to improve by Friday.
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The minister attributed the high pollution levels to stagnant winds and cooler temperatures, which trap pollutants. Pollution in Delhi arises from local sources (30%) and regional contributions, especially from the National Capital Region (NCR) (34%). He assured that the government would reinforce ongoing initiatives under GRAP 2 to prevent the situation from escalating to emergency levels.
Delhi residents are expressing concerns, with many suffering from respiratory and eye issues. People report struggling with daily routines, reduced visibility on the roads, and health impacts. Some, including schoolchildren, are worried about long-term respiratory consequences, while others suggest that increased use of cleaner fuel vehicles could help mitigate pollution.
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AQI readings in major areas like Anand Vihar (470), Ashok Vihar (469), ITO (417), and Rohini (451) highlight the severity, placing Delhi among the most polluted cities nationally.
In a related development, a recent report has revealed that over 300 flights approximately were affected by the dense fog persisting in the national capital. Due to the low visibility, over 300 flights have been delayed at the Delhi Airport, reports Flightradar 24.
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From the flight tracker website, a total of 115 flights arriving in Delhi since 12 am, and 226 flights departing from Delhi has been delayed. It said that there is a 17-minute average delay in arrivals and a significant 54-minute average delay in departure.
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Alerting the passengers regarding the poor visibility, the Delhi airport has issued a travel advisory. “Low visibility procedures in progress at Delhi Airport. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” it wrote on X.
IndiGo Airlines has also posted a travel advisory on X, urging the passengers to keep a tab on their flights as some flights might be delayed due to “winter fog”.
