The Delhi government has announced that all primary schools in the national capital will remain closed on Wednesday. Making the announcement, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said that the order might be extended till day after if needed.
He further said that schools should not conduct any outdoor activity, including assemblies.
The decision was taken during a meeting convened by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in view of a sudden spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR on Tuesday.
Sisodia had sought a report from the Environment Department on the national capital’s pollution level by Tuesday evening.
Earlier, Kejriwal had said, "Delhi has become a gas chamber. Every year this happens during this part of the year. We have to find a solution to crop burning in adjoining states."
The sudden spike in the pollution level has been blamed on unabated crop burning in Punjab and Haryana, which is in violation with the directives of green bodies.
On Tuesday, the city woke up enveloped in a thick blanket of smog accompanied by reports of air quality dipping further to 'severe' levels.
Delhi's average air quality index on Tuesday was 411 at 9:00 am. As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility also took a plunge and it was way below 200 metres.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, individual stations in Delhi-NCR recorded AQIs as high as 446 at 9:30 am.
Out of 19 monitoring stations in NCR, 12 recorded severe air quality. The lowest AQI was in Gurugram at 357 at 9:30 am, which is classified as very poor.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) also declared a public health emergency and wrote to the government to cease all outdoor activities and stop sports activities in schools. They also warned residents against venturing outdoors.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) on Tuesday hiked vehicle parking fees by four times in Delhi in a bid to curb worsening air quality.
