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Delhi air pollution: AQI remains 'severe plus'; schools, DU colleges go online. Artificial rain soon? | 10 updates
Delhi air pollution: The Delhi government announced on Monday that in-person classes will be suspended for classes 10 and 12.
Delhi AQI today: The air quality in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram reached “alarmingly high” levels, with most AQI stations touching 500-mark (severe plus) even on Tuesday morning, November 19, while a dense layer of smog enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) for the seventh consecutive day.
While the Union health secretary issued an updated advisory on Monday to states and union territories regarding air pollution, Delhi University has decided to shift to online classes till November 23 and Jawaharlal Nehru University till November 22, the varsities announced amid worsening air quality levels in the national capital.
On Tuesday, environment minister Gopal Rai urged the Centre to convene an emergency meeting to tackle the issue and said it is the moral responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.
Addressing a press conference, Rai said the Centre has not acted on the Delhi government's repeated requests to allow artificial rain in the national capital, and he will again write to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.
"Delhi is under GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage IV restrictions, and we are taking every possible step to reduce vehicular and industrial pollution. Restrictions have been imposed on private vehicles and trucks, aiming to curb the number of vehicles entering the city.
"We are consulting specialists to explore measures to reduce the smog. One of the solutions under consideration is artificial rain, which can help settle pollutants and clear the air," Rai said.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi's Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium and several other places touched the 500-mark at 5am on Tuesday, prompting concerns about health and safety.
Also Read | Maximum Toxi-city: Delhi's pollution crisis prompts WFH orders, school closure
Delhi air pollution: 10 latest updates
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (451), Dwarka sector-8 (470), Munka (476), Narela (478), RK Puram (460) and Wazirpur (470) were some of the areas that recorded the worst air quality in Delhi at 3pm.
- Delhi University, in a notification, said regular classes in “physical mode” will resume on November 25. JNU, in its statement, said it would conduct all classes online till November 22. The schedule of exams and interviews, however, remains unchanged, the universities said.
Also Read | Gurugram admin orders schools to close as AQI hits ‘severe’ - The Delhi government has termed the air situation a “medical emergency” and urged institutions to take preventive measures in the interest of public health. The two major factors affecting the city's air are weather conditions and stubble burning.
- Several schools and colleges in the region have already started shifting to online classes due to the poor air. In-person classes will be suspended for classes 10 and 12, the Delhi government announced on Monday.
- "From tomorrow physical classes shall be suspended for Class 10 and 12 as well, and all studies will be shifted online," Delhi chief minister Atishi said in a post on X.
- The directorate of education, too, issued a circular directing the heads of government and private schools to discontinue the classes for all students, including classes 10 and 12.
Also Read | Three U.P. cities rival Delhi AQI, figure on worst list: CPCB data - The Union health secretary's advisory includes recommendations for states and UTs to strengthen existing health systems and raise awareness among vulnerable groups and at-risk occupations. The advisory suggests developing detailed action plans at the district and city levels to address climate change's health impacts, including strategies to combat air pollution.
- It also emphasises expanding the network of sentinel hospitals to monitor air pollution-related illnesses within each state or union territory for effective response and monitoring.
- With the AQI entering into the ‘severe plus’ category choking the national capital, the Supreme Court on Monday directed all Delhi-NCR states to immediately set up teams to strictly enforce anti-pollution Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP) restrictions, making it clear that the curbs will continue till further orders. The court asserted that it is the constitutional duty of all states to ensure all citizens live in a pollution-free environment.
- The Supreme Court also pulled up the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for “delaying” the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and said it followed a “wrong” approach.
(With inputs from agencies)
