As the city’s air quality remained in the “severe” category for the second consecutive day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced the closure of all primary schools in the Capital from Saturday and banned outdoor activities for the remaining classes.
As the air quality index of the majority of the stations stood in the range of 600 to 750 at 6 am, Kejriwal said he is planning to bring in odd-even schemes for vehicles in Delhi.
The Delhi Government has also ordered 50 per cent of its staff to work from home.
“Primary classes will be closed from Saturday and outdoor activities for classes above fifth standard will be suspended. We are also mulling over implementing the odd-even scheme for plying of vehicles,” Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference.
This comes a day after schools in the neighbouring city of Noida were told to hold online classes till November 8.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had recently asked the Delhi Government to shut schools until the city’s air quality improves. School closures because of pollution levels are now an annual occurrence in Delhi. This disruption in school for primary classes comes after schools in Delhi finally fully opened physically for students of all grades in April this year after more than two years of closure because of Covid. In the wake of severe pollution in Delhi, many schools have taken measures to protect children, including suspension of outdoor activities and introduction of breathing exercises in classes.
In a separate press conference, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai ordered 50 per cent staff of the Delhi Government to work from home and said an advisory will be issued to private offices to follow suit.
Rai said schools will be asked to curtail outdoor activities of senior students. He said the Delhi Government has decided to implement the anti-pollution curbs recommended by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), including a ban on non-BS VI diesel vehicles.
“At a meeting with departments concerned, it has been decided that 50 per cent staff of Government offices will work from home from Monday and an advisory will be issued to private offices to follow suit,” Rai said. In a bid to ramp up public transport, the Government will also launch “Paryavaran Bus Service” which will include 500 privately-run CNG buses.
The Government decided that diesel trucks of essential commodities or essential services only would be allowed to enter Delhi. Delhi registered diesel operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGV) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) will not be allowed to ply in Delhi except those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services.
Rai said a six-member panel chaired by the special commissioner of Transport has been set up to monitor the implementation of curbs on anti-polluting activities. It will have two members each from the Transport department, traffic police and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Revenue commissioners have been asked to prepare a plan for staggered timings of markets and offices. The Delhi Government will request Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to divert trucks from the entry point of peripheral expressways around Delhi.
Residents’ welfare associations will be asked to provide electric heaters to security staff to prevent burning of coal and firewood. Special task forces will be constituted to curb air pollution at hotspots Thirteen teams of the DPCC will monitor industrial areas, Rai said. He said the odd-even car rationing scheme will be implemented if need arises and discussions on it are on.
According to a study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute in 2018, vehicular emissions account for around 40 per cent of the PM 2.5 pollution in the capital.
