Delhi’s air quality further deteriorated this morning to reach a near ‘severe’ category (401-450) even as a clear sky and sunshine helped to check the fall in temperature.
At 11 am, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 383, compared with 294 on Monday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. As many as 13 of the national capital’s 39 monitoring stations recorded AQI in the ‘severe’ category (above 400) at 11 am. Lodi Road, which used to have the best air quality compared to other places, also recorded 343 AQI, which is very high in the current scenario. Not a single spot in Delhi had below 300 AQI on Monday. The highest was in Anand Vihar at 426.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’ and above 450 ‘severe+’.
Delhi’s minimum temperature settled 0.6 notches above normal at 11.9 Degree Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said adding the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 27 Degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, schools in the national capital territory continued online for the second day, following the directives of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to States issued late Monday following an Order of the Supreme Court to consider allowing physical classes.
The CAQM said that schools and colleges in Delhi-NCR will have to shift classes up to the 12th standard to a “hybrid” mode -- both physical and online.
In a statement, the CAQM said that most primary schools in Delhi and neighbouring districts of other States lack the resources to conduct classes entirely online. Also, Classes X and XII students are the hardest hit by the Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). These students are required to attend physical classes for practical lessons, tests and extra tutorials needed for board and competitive examinations, it said.
The panel directed the state governments to ensure that all classes up to standard 12 as well as college and other educational institution classes are conducted in a “hybrid” mode -- both physical and online -- wherever feasible. This applies to the NCT of Delhi and the NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.
“The option to exercise an online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians,” it said. Accordingly, the Delhi government has directed all the heads of schools to disseminate the information to the parents and guardians of the students immediately as per the CAQM Order.
The SC on Monday refused to relax the restrictions under GRAP Stage-IV, emphasising that the curbs could only be eased if AQI levels consistently decreased.