Pollution severe but Delhi schools to reopen

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Sunday said that all schools would reopen from Monday despite air quality continuing to be in the ‘severe’ category.

The schools had been ordered to shut down on Wednesday, a day after the city’s air quality had touched 448 (‘severe’ on the air quality index). On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI shot up to 460, even as the government said that schools will reopen from Monday.

The Gurgaon administration, on the other hand, ordered all schools shut on Monday, while those in Noida will stay open.

“Schools in Delhi to reopen from Monday,” a government spokesperson said on Sunday.

A government official said the move was taken as central pollution control board (CPCB) has predicted the situation to improve from Monday. “CPCB says the situation is expected to improve from tomorrow so we have decided to reopen school,” the official said.

Meanwhile, officials in Gurgaon said all private and government schools will be closed on Monday due to the continuing smog situation in last 48 hours as per graded response action plan(GRAP).

Experts said government should focus on reducing students’ exposure to pollutants rather than shutting schools. Anumita Roychowdhary, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment said the government should issue a strong advisory to schools and parents to reduce exposure of kids to pollution as much as possible. “Shutting schools cannot be the solution alone. Playground activities and sports should be suspended and students should remain indoors. Both schools and parents will have to emphasise on this,” she said.

Most private schools said they will reopen on Monday. Some like Shri Ram, which has one branch in Delhi and two branches in Gurgaon, said their campuses will remain shut.

“We are closing tomorrow. We cannot risk our children. The pollution levels are pathetic. All our campuses will remain closed tomorrow. We will take each day as it comes,” Manika Sharma, director of Shri Ram schools, said.

Sharma said teachers will stay connected online with their students. “Too much time has been lost already. It’s a tough decision but health of our children and staff is our priority. We will have to work longer hours or work on Saturdays to make up for the lost time,” she said.

Some schools, on the other hand, raised concern about keeping the educational institutions shut for too many days. “We cannot keep schools shut for many days. Anyway it is not like students sit inside house when they are on leave. We need to find long term solutions. We are keeping 2-3 air purifying plants in each class as a natural remedy,” said Madhulika Sen, director of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar.

Ashok Pandey, principal Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar, said, “We are reopening. We will only shut school if there is a order from the government.”