Delhi Schools Announce Early Winter Break Starting November 9th Amidst Worsening Air Pollution Crisis

Delhi Schools to Close Early for Winter Break Due to Air Pollution

Delhi schools will be closing from November 9 to 18 for an early winter break due to the severe smog that has engulfed the city for the past six days. The decision was announced by the city’s Directorate of Education on Wednesday, citing the lack of respite from adverse weather conditions in the coming days.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Environment Minister Gopal Rai and attended by Education Minister Atishi, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, and other senior Delhi government officials. The primary reason behind advancing the vacation, which is traditionally held in December-January, is to safeguard the health of the students. The November 9-18 holiday will be adjusted against the regular break in December-January.

Earlier this week, all Delhi schools were instructed to suspend physical classes, except for those in Class 10 and 12, until Friday due to alarming levels of air pollution. The Delhi government has been striving to tackle the hazardous air quality, but with limited success. The Air Quality Index (AQI) this morning recorded a sharp spike at 421, compared to 395 on Tuesday at 4 pm.

In the neighboring areas, Noida recorded an AQI of 409, while Gurugram registered 370, both significantly above the limit prescribed by the World Health Organization, which is 30-40 times lower than the current levels.

As part of the anti-pollution measures, the fourth stage of the Graded Response Action Plan has been implemented, including the ban on diesel trucks and construction activities. Additionally, the odd-even rule, which restricts vehicular traffic based on the last digit of the registration number, was set to be reintroduced for a week after Diwali. However, its implementation is now uncertain following the Supreme Court’s comments.

During a hearing on air quality petitions, the Supreme Court criticized such measures as mere “optics” and called for the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh to work together to address the problem, particularly focusing on the issue of farm fires caused by stubble burning. The court emphasized the urgent need to stop this practice and demanded immediate action.

The air pollution crisis in Delhi is attributed to a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions and stubble burning. The authorities have raised the pollution alert to the highest level in response to this severe environmental issue.