Amidst escalating pollution levels in the city, Delhi’s Education Minister, Atishi, has declared the closure of all primary schools in the national capital until November 10. Additionally, for students in grades 6 to 12, the option of transitioning to online classes has been provided. The move comes as the toxic haze persisted over Delhi for the sixth consecutive day, with pollution levels reaching the “severe plus” category due to unfavorable wind conditions, notably calm winds during the night. The air quality index deteriorated from 415 at 4 pm on Saturday to 460 at 7 am on Sunday.
Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had already announced the closure of all government and private primary schools in Delhi for November 3 and November 4 due to the rising pollution levels. In accordance with the Centre’s air pollution control plan, emergency measures, including restrictions on polluting vehicles, commercial four-wheelers, and construction activities, are mandated to be enforced in the National Capital Region if the air quality index surpasses the 450-mark. The concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can deeply penetrate the respiratory system and pose health risks, has exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit at multiple locations in Delhi-NCR, reaching levels seven to eight times higher than the acceptable standard of 60 micrograms per cubic meter and 80 to 100 times higher than the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. The air quality deterioration is attributed to a combination of factors, including declining temperatures, stagnant winds that trap pollutants, and increased burning of post-harvest paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana.
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