Primary schools to remain shut till November 10 as air pollution spikes; entry of trucks restricted - The Hindu

Primary schools to remain shut till November 10 as air pollution spikes; entry of trucks restricted - The Hindu

The Delhi government on Sunday ordered the closure of all primary schools till November 10 and restricted the entry of trucks as the concentration of poisonous pollutant PM2.5 in the city air was recorded at over 20 times the limit prescribed by the World Health Organization.

For Classes 6 to 12, schools have the option of teaching online, according to a government order.

The Delhi Transport Department restricted the entry of trucks into the city following an order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas. The trucks carrying essential commodities and involved in providing essential services have been exempted from this ban.

The Commission had earlier in the day ordered the ban on entry of trucks into the city with “immediate effect”.

Additional steps

It also ordered against the plying of diesel-fuelled medium goods vehicles (MGVs) and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) within Delhi.

The commission said the governments in NCR States should also consider additional emergency measures such as an odd-even rule for the plying of vehicles.

The CAQM order is part of Stage 4 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of emergency steps to control air pollution. The commission is a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region.

No relief in sight

According to official data, the air quality of Delhi worsened to “severe plus” category on Sunday from “severe” on Saturday and it is likely to remain at the “severe” level for the next three days.

Air pollution of “severe” level “affects healthy people” and “seriously impacts those with existing diseases”, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI reading 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’.

The PM2.5 level in Delhi was 302.1 micrograms per cubic metre at 11 am on Sunday, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

This is over 20 times the WHO limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre for a 24-hour period.

Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 454 at 4 p.m. on Sunday, up from 415 a day earlier, as per the CPCB’s daily official bulletin. A higher value of AQI means an increase in air pollution. But by 8 p.m., the air quality of Delhi was 447 (“severe” category).