Delhi Air Quality drops: CM orders online classes for students, slams Centre over stubble burning

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday slammed PM Narendra Modi-led government and said it has not taken any ‘concrete step’ to solve the stubble burning problem which is believed to be choking the national capital under a thick layer of toxic smog.

She directed authorities to discontinue physical classes and shift to online mode for school students amid deteriorating air quality in the city.

The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) experienced the worst Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday morning as the toxic smog engulfed the union territory causing more worries for the residents, media reports said.

The AQI plummeted to the ‘severe-plus’ category reducing the visibility to 150 metres at 5 am.

The AQI recorded 481 at 7 am.

“All of North India has been plunged into a medical emergency as stubble burning continues unchecked across the country. All cities across the country – in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, MP and Delhi – are reeling under severe levels of pollution,” Atishi wrote on X.

She said: “And yet despite rising severity of stubble burning across India for last 5 years, the Central Govt has taken no concrete step to curb the same. All of North India is paying the price for this, especially children and elderly who are struggling to breathe.”

Atishi has announced all school classes will be held online except for students in Classes 10 and 12.

The Chief Minister wrote on X, “With the imposition of GRAP-4 from tmrw, physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12. All schools will hold online classes, until further orders.”

The Stage-4 of the anti-pollution plan GRAP was implemented by the Centre at 8 am.

Under the Stage 4 of GRAP, no trucks barring the ones using clean fuel or the ones carrying essential items will be allowed inside the national capital.

Light commercial vehicles carrying non-essential items will be barred from entering Delhi.

Barring the ones carrying essential items, BS-IV vehicles or the ones using older fuels will be barred in the national capital.

All kinds of construction work will remain suspended.

The Supreme Court will on Monday resume hearing on the case pertaining to air pollution.

Last week during a hearing, Amicus curiae and senior advocate Aparajita Singh told the top court bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world.

“We are in severe mode today. They (Delhi government) have not yet taken any pre-emptive measure yet. Nothing has been done. We should not become the most polluted city in the world,” advocate Singh told the top court as quoted by Bar and Bench.