Delhi Air Quality Crisis: Primary Schools Closed, Pollution Control Measures Enforced

A sudden deterioration in air quality in Delhi has prompted the Delhi government to make the decision to temporarily close primary schools for a period of two days. Neighboring Gurugram has also taken actions to combat the worsening pollution situation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal conveyed the announcement via Twitter, stating, "Due to the escalating pollution levels, all government and private primary schools in Delhi will be shut for the next two days."

To address the air quality crisis, the Central Pollution Control Panel has imposed a ban on non-essential construction activities in the National Capital Region, which encompasses areas such as Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurugram. Furthermore, the entry of diesel trucks into the city has been prohibited.

This response to the pollution problem is part of Stage III of the Graded Action Response Plan, a comprehensive strategy developed to combat the yearly surge in pollution levels in the capital and its surrounding regions.

In a proactive move, the Gurugram District Magistrate has prohibited the burning of waste materials, including garbage, leaves, plastic, and rubber, under a law that deems such actions punishable offenses.

Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has called for a meeting to discuss the effective implementation of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan on Friday. He stated, "A meeting involving all relevant government departments has been scheduled for Friday at 12 pm to deliberate on the effective execution of Stage III of GRAP."

Today marked the first time this season that Delhi's pollution levels reached the "severe" category, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 402 at 5 pm. Scientists have issued warnings of a further increase in pollution over the next two weeks. A troubling statistic reveals that 18 out of 37 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded AQI readings in the "severe" range.

Specific areas where the AQI exceeded the 400-mark include Anand Vihar (450), Bawana (452), Burari Crossing (408), Dwarka Sector 8 (445), Jahangirpuri (433), Mundka (460), NSIT Dwarka (406), Najafgarh (414), Narela (433), Nehru Nagar (400), New Moti Bagh (423), Okhla Phase 2 (415), Patparganj (412), Punjabi Bagh (445), R K Puram (417), Rohini (454), Shadipur (407), and Wazirpur (435).

When the AQI level surpasses 400, it is classified as "severe," indicating that the air pollution can have adverse effects on both healthy individuals and those with preexisting health conditions.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board shows that Delhi's air quality in October was the worst it had been since 2020, with meteorologists attributing this to the lack of rainfall.

In addition, Punjab witnessed a 740% surge in farm fires on a Sunday, with 1,068 fires reported across the state, marking the highest number in a single day during the ongoing harvesting season. This significant increase was even visible in satellite images.