Schools till class 9 move online amid severe plus air quality in Delhi-NCR

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital has plunged to the ‘severe plus’ category, marking its worst level yet. In response, the Delhi government has implemented Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). Chief Minister Atishi announced on Sunday via the social media platform X that physical classes for students up to Class 9 will be suspended starting Monday.

The CM posted, “With the imposition of Grap-IV from tomorrow, physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12. All schools will hold online classes, until further orders.”

Meanwhile, amid worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR, the additional restrictions will be implemented in the region to control the air pollution. Earlier today, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated significantly, with the AQI reaching 457 by 7 pm on Sunday, falling into the ‘severe plus’ category.

What restrictions are in place under Grap-IV in Delhi?

1. Diesel-powered medium and heavy goods vehicles registered in Delhi (BS-IV or older) are prohibited unless transporting essential goods.

2. Non-essential light commercial vehicles from outside Delhi are banned unless they operate on cleaner fuels like CNG, BS-VI diesel, or are electric.

3. Entry of trucks carrying non-essential items into Delhi is restricted unless they run on LNG, CNG, or BS-VI diesel.

4. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) earlier suggested shifting classes 6 to 9 and class 11 to online learning.

5. Offices in the NCR region have been advised to operate at 50 per cent capacity, with the remaining staff working remotely.

As per the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management, vehicles accounted for 15.8 per cent of Delhi’s pollution on Sunday, while stubble burning contributed 25 per cent. PM2.5 remains a significant pollutant.