For the sixth consecutive day on Sunday, a dense layer of haze enveloped…
Due to the escalating air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi government has decided to extend the closure of all primary schools up to class 5 until November 10. Schools for classes 6-12 are not mandated to close, but they have the flexibility to conduct online classes if they choose to do so.
Initially, the Delhi government had announced the closure of primary schools up to class 5 until November 5. However, the worsening air quality in the city has led to this extension.
Delhi’s Education Minister, Atishi, stated, “Given the persistently high pollution levels, primary schools in Delhi will remain shut until November 10. Schools for grades 6-12 have the option to transition to online classes.”
Delhi’s air quality remained severely polluted for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday morning, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 460.
A stifling layer of noxious smog persisted over Delhi, leading to concerns among medical professionals regarding the increasing incidence of respiratory and eye issues in children and the elderly.
Microscopic PM2.5 particles, which have the potential to deeply penetrate the lungs and cause health problems, surged to levels seven to eight times higher than the government’s recommended safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter in various areas across Delhi-NCR in recent days. This concentration was 80 to 100 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
As part of the central government’s strategy to address pollution in Delhi-NCR, it is obligatory to implement immediate air pollution control measures, which include restrictions on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all construction activities, when the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpasses 450.
Over the past week, the air quality in Delhi-NCR has deteriorated due to decreasing temperatures, stagnant winds hampering the dispersion of pollutants, and an increase in post-harvest paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
Delhi’s AQI saw a significant rise of more than 200 points between October 27 and November 3, entering the “severe plus” category (above 450) on Friday, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). While there was a minor improvement from 468 at 4 pm on Friday to 413 at 6 am on Saturday, the 24-hour average AQI of 468 on Friday was the worst since November 12, 2021.
Delhi’s air quality ranks among the poorest of capital cities worldwide, with a University of Chicago study revealing that air pollution reduces life expectancy by nearly 12 years.