Delhi To Hold Online Classes For Primary Schools Due To Worsening Air Quality

The pollution worsens and so do the panic measures. On Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that all the primary schools in the city will shift to online classes with regards to worsening air quality. The orders are to be followed till further notice.

Atishi went onto the social media platform X to make this announcement which reads: “Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will shift to online classes, until further directions.” It is being done to protect students from the adverse impact of poor air quality.

GRAP Stage 3 Implemented

In this wake, the Delhi government declared that third-stage Graded Response Action Plan will come into effect on Friday, for which it would be shifting its education portion online. This step is being taken as the air quality of the city has worsened alarmingly, for which the action plan is studied to bring down the pollution levels.

GRAP Measures In Place

Delhi’s air quality has hit alarming levels, prompting the implementation of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to address the worsening pollution.

The GRAP system classifies air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) into four stages based on the Air Quality Index (AQI). These stages are:

Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300)
Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400)
Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450)
Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI >450)

On Thursday, Delhi’s AQI remained in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. On Wednesday, the capital reported the worst AQI in the country, marking the first time this season that air quality reached the ‘severe’ level.

Weather Conditions Aggravate Pollution Levels

Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, attributed the worsening air quality to a combination of calm winds and a drop in temperature. These factors caused pollutants to remain trapped in the air, exacerbating the pollution levels.

Speaking at a press conference, Rai explained the shift in weather patterns over the past two days. He noted that wind speeds are expected to increase between Friday and Saturday, which could help alleviate the pollution.

“With rising temperatures and an increase in wind speed, we expect pollution levels to decrease in the coming days,” Rai said.

While the air quality remains a concern, the anticipated changes in weather conditions offer a glimmer of hope for improved air quality in Delhi over the weekend. However, for now, the city continues to battle severe pollution levels that pose significant health risks.

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