As air pollution worsened, the Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar administrations on Sunday announced online classes for students up to Class V and hybrid classes for higher grades, according to published orders, PTI reported.
The move comes after the Commission on Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee on Saturday said that Stage IV measures will be implemented across the National Capital Region (NCR) with immediate effect.
The Directorate of Education in Delhi yesterday ordered all schools to conduct classes for students up to IX due to deteriorating air quality in the national capital. and XI. classes in hybrid mode. According to a circular dated December 13, government, government-aided and unaided recognized private schools under Directorate of Education, NDMC, MCD and Delhi Cantonment Board have been directed to provide both face-to-face and online classes whenever possible until further notice.
CAQM on outdoor exercise sports activities in schools and institutions
The CAQM has instructed the state governments of Delhi and NCR to immediately stop all outdoor physical sports activities, warning that continuation of such events in the face of poor air quality poses a “serious health risk to children”, the report said.
In a letter sent to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the Commission said it was concerned that “some schools and institutions in Delhi-NCR are still conducting outdoor sports activities” despite earlier directions issued in compliance with the Supreme Court’s November 19 order.
The CAQM said that allowing outdoor physical activity during periods of poor air quality was “contrary to the spirit and intent of the High Court’s comments and the Commission’s guidance”.
The commission noted that in a letter dated November 19, it called for the “postponement of sports competitions in physical sports scheduled for November and December.”
It directed the Delhi Government and the NCR State Governments to ensure strict and immediate compliance with these earlier orders, issue necessary instructions to schools, educational institutions, sports bodies and local authorities to stop outdoor physical sports activities and to alert schools and parents about the health risks involved.
CAQM further asked the authorities to closely monitor compliance on the ground and take appropriate action in case of any violation.
During winter, the Delhi-NCR region implements restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which classifies air quality into four grades: Grade I (Poor, AQI 201-300), II grade (very poor, AQI 301–400), III.
