While air quality improved slightly in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), schools in this region are preparing to resume physical classes after the Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) ordered all classes up to standard 12 to be conducted on Monday evening. in hybrid mode.
“State Governments in the NCR shall ensure that all classes up to 12th standard are conducted in a “hybrid” mode, that is, both in “physical” and also in an “online”, where online mode is feasible in the territorial jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar in the NCR,” the CAQM order said.
Physical classes in Delhi-NCR – Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad – have been suspended for over a week now due to severe air pollution.
GRAP-IV rules
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to consider relaxation of norms under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-IV for educational institutions, noting that many students could not get mid-day meals, could not attend online classes or have access to air purifiers.
Last week, GRAP-IV was imposed in the national capital after the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 450 mark, and the Supreme Court said the curbs cannot be relaxed without its approval.
A Justice Abhay S Oka and AG Masih made it clear that it leaves it to the Commission to decide to what extent the norms applicable from today in GRAP III and GRAP-IV can be relaxed or whether exceptions can be excluded.
The Commission has been instructed to take a decision on this matter by Monday or Tuesday morning, so that it can be implemented from Wednesday.
The case will come before the top court again on November 28.
Delhi AQI
According to the latest CPCB data, air quality in Delhi improved to 'poor' on Monday.
At 9 am, the national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 281, compared to 318 at 4 pm on Sunday, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
However, 15 of the 39 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded an AQI in the 'very poor' category. Shadipur had the worst AQI with a value of 353.