Air pollution: Schools shut indefinitely as smog worsens in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: All schools in Delhi will remain shut for physical classes till further orders due to rising levels of air pollution in the national capital, said the Directorate of Education, Delhi on Sunday. Education will, however, continue with the help of online classes. “The Department of Environment, GNCTD vide order F. NO. 10 (13)/ENV/2020/Pt-2/5214- 5243 dated 17 November, 2021 has directed to close all the schools with immediate effect till further orders of the Commission For Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas. Therefore, in pursuance of the above-mentioned order, all the Government, Government Aided, Unaided Recognized, NDMC, MCDs and Delhi Cantonment Board Schools will remain closed till further orders. However, Online teaching-learning activities and the examinations for Board classes would be conducted as per guidelines issued earlier vide Circular No. DE.23 (28)/Sch.Br./2021/637 dated 14.11.2021,” reads the order. All the heads of schools have been instructed to disseminate the information to the students, staff members, SMC members, and parents. To tackle increasing air pollution levels in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 13 November had announced a ‘pollution lockdown’ under which the schools were closed for physical classes for a week. Classes, however, continued through online mediums. All construction activity in the national capitals were also shut down from 14 November to 17 November. Government office employees were asked to operate from home (WFH) at 100 percent capacity for a week, while private offices were issued an advisory to go for WFH (work from home) option as much as possible.