Toxic air: Primary schools in Delhi shut till Nov 10

All primary schools in the national capital will remain shut till November 10 in view of rising pollution levels in the city, Delhi Education Minister Atishi announced on Sunday.

For classes 6 to 12, schools have the option of teaching online. “As pollution levels continue to remain high, primary schools in Delhi will stay closed till November 10. For Grade 6-12, schools are being given the option of shifting to online classes,” Atishi said on X.

A toxic haze lingered over Delhi for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday as pollution levels once again reached the severe plus category due to unfavourable wind conditions, particularly 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 announced that all government and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed on November 3 and November 4, in view of rising pollution levels.

Under the Centre’s air pollution control plan, all emergency measures, including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction, are mandated to be initiated and enforced in the National Capital Region if the AQI crosses the 450-mark.

The concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and triggering health problems, exceeded the government-prescribed safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by seven to eight times at multiple locations throughout Delhi-NCR. It was 80 to 100 times the healthy limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter set by the WHO.

Air quality in Delhi-NCR declined over the past week due to a gradual drop in temperatures, calm winds that trap pollution, and a surge in post-harvest paddy straw burning across Punjab and Haryana.