Delhi-NCR breathes poison as AQI breaches ‘severe’, Noida schools go online

The air Delhi breathes deteriorated further on Friday (November 4) with nearly all monitoring stations in the city reporting air quality index in the ‘severe’ category.

The overall AQI in the capital stood at 472, according to SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The quality of air was worse in Delhi’s satellite cities: the AQI was 562 in Noida (UP), 539 in Gurugram (Haryana) and Faridabad (Haryana) at 500.

Here are the latest developments in the ongoing saga of Delhi’s worsening air quality:

Alarmed by abnormally high levels of air pollution in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday evening banned the entry of diesel trucks carrying non-essential goods into the capital.

Last week, as air quality dipped, the CAQM had directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, barring essential projects, and other curbs under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

All schools in Noida and Greater Noida were Thursday asked to hold classes online for students up to Class 8 till November 8 in view of increasing pollution in the National Capital Region, according to an official order.

The schools have also been told to hold classes for students of Class 9 to 12 online as far as possible, said the order issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar’s District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) Dharmveer Singh. Outdoor activities like sports or meetings will stay completely banned in all schools, the order further stated.

In the capital, there is growing clamour from parents demanding that schools be shut down. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had earlier asked the Delhi government to shut schools till air quality improves.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has convened a high-level meeting on Friday to discuss the implementation of the curbs under the final stage of GRAP.

The order stated that the state government may take a call on the closure of educational institutions, non-emergency commercial activities and plying of vehicles on odd-even basis. The central and state governments may decide on permitting work from home.