Delhi Extends School Closures and Offers Online Classes as Pollution Persists

With pollution levels in the national capital still categorized as ‘severe,’ the Delhi government has extended the closure of primary schools until November 10, as announced on Sunday. In addition, students from Class 6 to 12 are being given the option to transition to online learning. Atishi, a Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, conveyed this decision in a social media post, emphasizing the need to address high pollution levels.

Earlier, on November 2, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had declared a two-day closure for government and private schools (until November 4) due to worsening air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi-NCR remained at 482, categorized as ‘severe,’ as per data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

Specific stations recorded various pollutant levels, with PM 2.5 and PM 10 often falling under the ‘severe’ category, while other parameters like CO and NO2 displayed mixed results, indicating the ongoing air quality challenges in the region.