As the air quality in Delhi remained 'severe' for the fourth day straight, the Delhi government on Monday announced the closure of in-person classes for all except for classes 10 and 12. The government also announced the return of 'odd-even' scheme to check vehicular emissions during November 13-20.
The average air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 421 on Monday in the severe category. The air quality forecast says that Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to experience severe air quality for another five to six days.
In addition to closing schools and reintroducing the 'odd-even' scheme, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai also said the government would consider having 50 per cent of staffers in government and private offices work from home will be made after Diwali.
The severe air quality in Delhi at the onset of the winter season is an annual occurrence as farm fires in nearby Punjab state spike, smoke from which travels to Delhi and the surrounding areas in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The PTI reported New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) as saying that a total of 4,160 farm fires were reported from North India on Sunday. Separately, Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) data showed that 3,230 fires were spotted in Punjab alone.
Mapping of global fires by the US space agency NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) shows the overwhelming majority of fires in Punjab. Both the Punjab and Delhi are ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Moreover, under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a ban on all construction work and the entry of polluting trucks into the capital came into effect on Sunday after AQI crossed the 450-mark and reached 'severe plus' category.
Separately, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has formed a panel to monitor the work under its Winter Action Plan (WAP) to curb the air pollution. The MCD has already announced the identification of 13 pollution hotspots and a drive to check burning or construction activities violating the rules.
Separately, the Delhi government has also ordered the usage of dust suppressants, the deployment of smog guns, etc to curb the pollution.
