Delhi schools likely to be shut after Diwali if pollution spikes to ‘severe’
NEW DELHI: With worsening air quality in the Capital, the officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) predicted that the pollution level could turn severe post -Diwali.
According to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) by the Supreme Court mandated body EPCA if severe air quality continues for more than 48 hours then the schools should be closed.
“The CPCB and EPCA are monitoring the air quality closely. As soon as the emergency level is reached, the GRAP for severe air quality will come into play which might lead to the closure of schools in the Capital,” said CSE‘S Anumita Roy Chowdhury.
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded its worst air quality, which was just 19 points below the ‘severe’ on Air Quality Index (AQI) on Sunday as a thick haze engulfed the national capital which continued to grapple with deteriorating air quality.
The officials predicted a huge fall in air quality after Diwali which might lead to the closure of schools in the Capital. “The pollution is increasing every day and the CPCB predicted that the air quality will be severe during Diwali and after. The GRAP is already working for the ‘very poor’ air quality category and if GRAP for the ‘emergency’ category quality comes into play, the schools should be closed for some days,” said an official.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is termed ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe or emergency’.
As many as 12 pollution monitoring stations located in various parts of Delhi recorded ‘severe’ air quality while 20 stations recorded very poor air quality, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Authorities attribute the dip in air quality to localised factors like construction dust, vehicular pollution as well as regional factors like pollution due to stubble burning from Punjab and Haryana. A thick
haze due to smog engulfed the national capital which recorded the worst air quality of this season, authorities said.
A CPCB-LED task force has recommended to Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) implementation of stringent measures from November 1 to 10, predicting further deterioration in the air quality ahead of Diwali. Some of these recommendations include shutting down of coal and biomass factories, intensification of inspection by the transport department to check polluting vehicles and controlling traffic congestion in DelhiNCR during November 1-10. The task force also issued an advisory to the public, asking them to avoid outdoor strenuous activities and minimize the use of private vehicles.
The task force also warned that at beginning of November the situation may get further deteriorated on account of localized emissions during
the festival and regional contribution due to stubble burning.
“Coal and biomass-based industries should be shut from November 4 to 10, except the waste-to-energy units and thermal power plants across NCR,” Prashant Gargava, member secretary CPCB said while addressing the media.
The task force has also requested the EPCA to ask the traffic department of Delhi and satellite cities like Ghaziabad and Faridabad in NCR, to intensify checks on polluting vehicles from November 1 to 10 to control the pollution.
Schools likely to be closed after Diwali