With pollution reaching dangerous levels, the Centre’s panel monitoring Delhi-NCR air quality has ordered stage-4 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from Monday, November 18.
Despite GRAP limitations, the capital’s air quality has remained “severe” for the previous five days, leading officials to enact tough anti-pollution measures. The new limits would go into effect at 8 a.m. on Monday.
The judgment was made by the Commission for Air Quality Management.
According to CAQM, the air quality index (AQI) in the national capital was 441 (Severe) around 4 p.m. on Sunday. It has progressively increased and has already reached the Severe+ category, as the AQI recorded 447, 452, and 457 at 5pm, 6pm, and 7pm, respectively.
With the imposition of GRAP-4 from tmrw, physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12. All schools will hold online classes, until further orders.
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) November 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced that physical classes will be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12 till further orders.
The Directorate of Education directed all heads of government and private schools to ensure that the offline classes for students up to class 9, and class 11, do not take place until further order.
Delhi | Physical classes for all students upto class IX and class XI are to be discontinued from 18.11.2024 (Monday) until further orders. Heads of Schools are also directed to ensure classes in online mode for the students of these classes till further orders. Further, physical… pic.twitter.com/rR0ejuZHyP
— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2024
“All the Heads of government, government aided and unaided private recognised schools of DoE, MCD, NDMC and DCB in Delhi are hereby directed to ensure that the physical classes for all students upto (sic) class nine and class eleven is (sic) to be discontinued from November 18 until further orders,” the DoE stated in a circular.
In-person classes for students of class 10 and class 12 will continue as usual, it said.
Restrictions Under Stage-4
- Under the fourth stage of the GRAP, there are additional restrictions such as ban on several vehicle categories, 50% work from home and even the possible closure of schools.
- The entry of trucks will be banned in Delhi-NCR except for those carrying essential goods. LNG, CNG, electric, BS-VI diesel trucks would be allowed to enter the region.
- Delhi-registered diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) would be prohibited in the national capital, except for those carrying essential goods or providing essential services. Additionally, LCVs registered outside Delhi, other than EVs / CNG / BS-VI diesel, won’t be allowed to enter Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities / providing essential services.
- There would be a complete ban on construction activities in linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, etc.
- The authorities would to decide on switching to online classes for students in classes VI to IX and class XI, and about implementing work-from-home arrangements.
- The NCR state governments may consider additional emergency measures like the closure of colleges/ educational institutions and closure of non-emergency commercial activities, permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers, etc.
Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or other chronic diseases have been advised to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors, as much as possible.
GRAP classifies its actions into four stages: Stage I – ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II – ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III – ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV – ‘severe plus’ (AQI above 450).
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Source: News 18
