Primary schools in Delhi shift to online classes as pollution chokes city ::::: Construction, demolition activities that generate dust have been banned

Primary schools in Delhi shift to online classes as pollution chokes city

The decision to move primary classes online was made following the imposition of restrictions under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR.

With Delhi's air quality deteriorating to a severe category, the city government on Thursday, Nov 14, announced that all classes for students up to Class V will be switched to online mode. 

"Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions," Delhi Chief Minister Atishi wrote on X.

Accordingly, the Directorate of Education issued an order on Thursday evening for closure of primary classes.

Air pollution: Junior schools shut, construction halted as GRAP III invoked in Delhi-NCR

With Delhi’s air quality remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day on Thursday, all classes for students up to Class V for all schools in Delhi-NCR have been switched to online mode. 

The action is part of measures undertaken as part of the invocation of GRAP stage III by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) and will come into effect starting 8 am on Friday. 

Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality on Thursday recorded at 4 pm was 424 AQI, in the ‘severe’ category. Classes for primary school students, in government and private schools, will shift online after the respective governments issue orders.

Construction and demolition activities that generate dust have been banned. Exceptions to this are activities to build projects such as metro, railways and linear public projects like highways, roads and flyovers.