Delhi air quality: When will schools resume offline classes? What we know

Delhi government adopted GRAP IV due to the deteriorating pollution levels in the city and its surrounding areas, resulting in classes for schools going online, except for grades 10 and 12 from Monday. The partial online classes for schools will continue till further notice in Delhi or till the air quality improves in the city.

With GRAP IV coming into effect from 8 am on Monday, a holiday was declared for students of up to Class 5 while classes for students of Grade 6 through 9 and 11 have been permitted to take lessons online.

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Even as the AQI in the surrounding districts of Noida and Ghaziabad is still in the severe category, these cities have not yet announced a school holiday or online classes. However, Haryana schools— including those in Faridabad and Gurgaon — have been closed, and kids of up to Class 5 have been given a break. For the Delhi-NCR area, meetings are anticipated to take place on Monday, and information will be distributed during the school break.

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Delhi Chief Minister Atishi wrote on microblogging platform X on Sunday, "Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions."

What else does GRAP apply to

In addition to closing schools, GRAP IV limits the number of cars that can enter Delhi. BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy freight trucks registered in Delhi are prohibited, with the exception of those used for vital services.

Entry into Delhi will only be permitted for trucks transporting necessities or running on clean fuel (LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric).

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Delhi has paused all construction activities, including those pertaining to roads, flyovers, electricity lines, pipelines, highways, and other public projects. Private offices have been encouraged to give work from home option to employees and cut staff by 50 per cent. This prohibition also applies to private automobiles.

Due to poor weather, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated on Sunday, climbing from 441 at 4 p.m. to 457 at 7 p.m. Bahadurgarh in Haryana recorded the highest AQI (445), followed by Delhi (441), Bhiwani in Haryana (415), and Bikaner in Rajasthan (404), according to statistics from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).