Delhi Records ‘Very Poor’ AQI of 364, Orders Hybrid Classes up to Class 5

Traffic queues beneath road signs for India Gate, Bharat Mandapam and Rajiv Chowk in New Delhi as a tanker sprays mist along the road. Photo (Arrangements)

The directive covers government, aided and recognised private schools in the capital and follows the activation of Stage III pollution curbs across Delhi-NCR.

Key Highlights

• Delhi’s citywide Air Quality Index stood at 364 at 8 am on Saturday, 7 November, in the ‘very poor’ category.
• Schools have been directed to offer in-person and online classes for pupils up to Class 5, with online instruction where feasible.
• School heads have been asked to inform parents and guardians immediately, while district and zonal education officials will monitor implementation.

New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday morning, with the Central Pollution Control Board recording a citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) of 364 at 8 am. The reading came a day after the Delhi Directorate of Education directed schools to conduct classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode as pollution worsened.

The directive applies to government, government-aided and recognised unaided private schools, as well as schools run by the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Cantonment Board. Under the hybrid arrangement, pupils can attend in person or join online where schools can provide that option.

The education circular followed Friday’s decision by the Commission for Air Quality Management to invoke Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and the National Capital Region. The commission’s order covers the wider region, while the Directorate of Education’s circular applies to schools in Delhi.

The directorate asked school heads to communicate the arrangements to families immediately. It also directed deputy directors of education to visit schools in their districts and zones to check that the instructions were being implemented.