Schools in Delhi, Noida, Faridabad shift to online mode: Amid ‘severe plus’ air pollution levels in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhi and NCR states – Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab to enforce Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) without delay. It urged immediate action on closing schools, shifting employees to remote work, and shutting industries.
The court ordered these restrictions to remain in place until further notice, regardless of whether the Air Quality Index (AQI) falls below the ‘severe’ category threshold of 401.
Delhi University announces online classes
Delhi University announced a shift to online classes until November 23 due to hazardous air quality in Delhi-NCR. In a statement, the university said, “In the larger interest of students, classes shall be conducted in Online Mode till Saturday, 23rd November 2024.”
Offline classes will resume on November 25, while the schedule for examinations and interviews remains unchanged. Here’s the official notice-
Schools in Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar to shift to online classes
The Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate, Manish Verma, directed schools to conduct online classes for all grades. The order applies to government, aided, and private schools, following an advisory by District Basic Education Officer Rahul Panwar.
The authority has also issued directives in response to the situation, including regular water spraying and cleanliness measures on school premises, the suspension of all outdoor activities until further notice, and an exemption for students with health issues from attending school without penalty. Check official notice below-
Faridabad schools closed until November 23
In Faridabad, Deputy Commissioner Vikram Yadav ordered the closure of all private and government schools up to Class 12 until November 23. Online classes will replace physical sessions during this period to ensure student safety. Here’s the official notice-
Supreme Court Criticises Delay in GRAP-IV Implementation
The Supreme Court earlier on Monday, criticised the Delhi government for delays in implementing GRAP Stage IV measures, emphasising the need for strict enforcement. The court noted that restrictions must remain, even if AQI drops below 450.
Notably, 15 of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations recorded the AQI at 500. Speaking to TOI earlier, Dipankar Saham former head of the CPCB’s Air Laboratory Division had said, “In our AQI scale, values from 451 to 500 fall in the’severe plus’ category, which is considered the highest level of air emergency and corresponds to the strictest anti-pollution measures envisaged so far.”
The Supreme Court has issued important orders on physical classes and GRAP compliance, including a proposal that all NCR states consider suspending physical activities up to Class 12. The Court has also ordered the construction of monitoring teams to guarantee compliance with GRAP Stage IV actions, the establishment of a complaint mechanism for reporting violations, and the documentation of state governments’ GRAP Stage IV implementation choices prior to the next hearing.
