New Delhi:
The Centre’s pollution monitoring body has amended the Graded Response Action Plan on Wednesday. Along with this, under the third and fourth phase of GRAP, it has been made mandatory to keep schools closed in the districts of Delhi-NCR. Earlier, the decision to implement these measures was left to the discretion of the state governments.
In the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) amended the GRAP and extended closure of schools in Delhi and NCR districts Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar under its third and fourth phase. Has been made mandatory.
According to an additional instruction under the third phase of GRAP, state governments will now have to set separate timings for public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi and NCR districts.
Earlier the system was like this
Earlier, under Stage 3, state governments could decide that classes in schools should be closed for students up to class 5 and online classes should be started.
Similarly, under Stage 4, there was an option to close classes in schools for students of classes 6, 9 and 11.
However, the revised GRAP now makes these measures mandatory for Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, while leaving other NCR districts free to decide.
Supreme Court had reprimanded
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had rapped the Air Quality Management Commission for the delay in implementing phases 3 and 4 of GRAP and stressed the urgent need to close schools across NCR until further orders. Besides, the Supreme Court had also directed to adopt strict measures in the third and fourth phase of GRAP.
