The Centre’s pollution watchdog, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), has revised the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), making school closures mandatory in Delhi and NCR districts under Stages 3 and 4 of the plan.
Previously, state governments had the discretion to decide on implementing these measures. However, the updated GRAP requires that schools in Delhi, along with NCR districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar, remain closed under Stages 3 and 4.
Under Stage 3, the revised plan also mandates the staggering of timings for public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi and the mentioned NCR districts, although other NCR districts will retain the flexibility to decide on office timings.
Earlier, decisions on halting physical classes for students up to Class 5 and transitioning to online learning under Stage 3 were left to the discretion of state governments. Similarly, under Stage 4, it was up to the authorities to decide whether to stop in-person classes for students in Classes 6 to 9 and 11. However, with the updated guidelines, these actions are now mandatory for Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar.
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This revision follows the Supreme Court’s reprimand earlier this week, urging the CAQM to implement stricter measures under Stages 3 and 4 without further delay. The court stressed the immediate need for school closures across NCR until further notice.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi has remained in the severe category since Sunday, with readings exceeding 450 on Monday and Tuesday, reaching the Severe Plus category. While there was slight improvement on Wednesday, the 24-hour average AQI still stood at 419, within the severe range.