The air is suffocating, from Delhi-Noida to Gurugram-Ghaziabad… where will the schools remain closed? Know which things are banned?

The situation is worsening due to pollution which is becoming deadly in Delhi. The air quality i.e. Air Quality Index has reached the very serious category. On Monday, AQI crossed 450 in almost entire Delhi and reached 500 in most places. The air quality is bad in NCR also. Hearing the increasing pollution, the Supreme Court has reprimanded the Central and Delhi Government and ordered the closure of all schools up to class 12th. At present online classes will run. At the same time, Delhi University has shifted its classes to online mode.

Average AQI 481 was recorded in Delhi on Monday morning. AQI had reached 500 in the evening. AQI 495 was recorded in Ashok Vihar and Bawana. Whereas in Gurugram the AQI level reached 576. Along with pollution, there were also problems due to smog. Let us know where will the schools remain closed after the court order? What measures have Delhi-NCR adopted to stop pollution? What was the impact of haze on flights and rail services:-

1. After air pollution reached dangerous levels in Delhi, the fourth phase of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented on Monday itself. Under this, many pollution control measures have been implemented. All schools up to class 12th have been closed. At present studies will be conducted in online mode. All schools of government, CBSE and ICSE boards will come under its purview. Classes of 10th and 12th will also run online.
2. Haryana Government has given the Deputy Commissioner the authority to temporarily close schools up to class 5 due to increasing pollution. Instructions were issued to schools from class 1st to 5th to conduct online classes from November 19. Later, instructions were given to close all schools up to 12th in Gurugram, Noida and Faridabad by 23 November. Online classes will run here also.
3. Talking about UP, the situation of air pollution remains serious in many cities here. In cities like Noida and Gurugram included in Delhi-NCR, AQI has come in the ‘severe’ category. The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court that Grape-4 has been implemented. Schools in the districts falling under NCR will remain closed from Tuesday. Online classes will be conducted. The DM of Ghaziabad has also ordered closure of all schools up to class 12 indefinitely on Monday. Now studies will be conducted in online mode in Ghaziabad also.
4. After pollution reached the danger level in Delhi, Delhi University has also shifted all classes to online mode till 23 November. This means that at present physical classes will not run in the campus. Lectures can be attended in online mode. All cultural activities have also been stopped in the campus.
5. Due to pollution in Delhi-NCR, people are facing irritation in eyes and also difficulty in breathing. In this regard, a joint team of authority, pollution control board, administration and police department has been formed to prevent pollution. This team will inspect the construction sites at night. Apart from this, the team will make people aware in the city about which activities have been banned. Also, all types of outdoor activities have been asked to be stopped in schools.
6. The situation of air pollution in Punjab is also very bad. The cases of stubble burning are increasing here. Data from the Remote Sensing Center has shown that 1,251 new cases of stubble burning in fields were reported in Punjab on Monday, which is the highest in a single day this season. With this the total number of such cases in the state has increased to 9,655. On November 8, 730 incidents of stubble burning in fields were reported in Punjab, which was the highest in a single day this season till Monday. However, no official order has been issued yet to close schools.
7. An organization representing Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers has sought permission to work from home, highlighting the alarming decline in Delhi’s air quality. The organization demanded work from home, staggered working hours and installation of air purifiers in all office buildings to reduce the adverse health effects of pollution levels.
8. In view of the increasing pollution in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented the fourth phase of the modified Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR from 8 am on November 18, 2024. Delhi CM Atishi has described increasing pollution as a medical emergency. He said that Delhi’s air is being polluted due to stubble burning in BJP ruled states.
9. The Delhi government has advised children, elderly, respiratory patients, heart patients and those suffering from chronic diseases to stay indoors. If the NCR state governments want, they can give work from home to 50% of the employees in public, corporation and private offices. All types of construction work will remain closed. There is a strict ban on burning garbage.
10. Due to fog in Delhi-NCR, visibility reduced to 150 meters in some areas including Palam. Due to this, the operation of 100 flights was delayed. 15 flights of Air India, Indigo and SpiceJet were diverted. Of these, 13 flights were diverted to Jaipur, one to Lucknow and one to Dehradun. More than 20 trains have been diverted. While 15 trains were late.