When will Delhi-NCR schools reopen? After Supreme Court hearing, air quality panel issues instructions – AyraNews24x7

Last updated:November 25, 2024, 10:37 PM IST

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said students were being deprived of mid-day meal and lacked the means to attend virtual classes.

Physical classes in schools and colleges were recently banned due to severe air pollution. (file image)

The Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday ordered state governments in the Delhi-NCR region to ensure that classes up to class 12 and classes in colleges and other educational institutions are conducted in “hybrid” mode. On Monday, the air quality panel was directed to consider resuming physical classes in the region, which were closed due to high air pollution levels.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said students were being deprived of mid-day meal and lacked the means to attend virtual classes. The bench further said that a large number of students do not have air purifiers at home, which shows that there may be slight differences in the air quality whether children stay at home or go to school.

“The CAQM is expected to take a decision during the day or by tomorrow morning so that it can be implemented from Wednesday,” the bench said.

CAQM orders state governments to conduct classes in ‘hybrid mode’

Following the Supreme Court hearing, the CAQM ordered state governments in the Delhi-NCR region to conduct classes up to Class 12 in colleges and other educational institutions in “hybrid” mode, i.e. both “physical” as well as . An “online”, wherever online mode is possible. “Students and their parents will have the option to use the online mode of education, wherever available,” it said.

Since last week, schools in the region have shifted to online classes following the suspension of physical classes due to the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV restrictions amid severe air pollution levels.

Schools in the national capital as well as other NCR districts Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram will remain closed till Monday and will operate online. The decision to keep schools closed till November 25 was taken independently by the authorities concerned after Delhi’s AQI remained in the ‘very poor’ category.

Meanwhile, Gautam Buddh Nagar District School Inspector issued an order suspending physical classes from pre-primary to class 12 and continuing online classes till Tuesday, November 26, due to deteriorating air quality levels in the district .

The court also said that due to the implementation of the GRAP 4 rules, several sections of the society, including daily wage labourers, have been adversely affected. The bench said that all states should utilize the money collected as labor cess to provide them subsistence.

“We direct all states to utilize the money collected as labor cess to provide subsistence to construction workers when such work is prohibited and all states will comply with the same. Action should be taken immediately,” it observed.

The top court rapped the authorities for failing to implement measures related to curbing construction and entry of polluting vehicles in Delhi-NCR, and held the CAQM against Delhi government and Delhi Police officials for “serious lapses”. Ordered to initiate action for. Part.

“It is clear that the authorities mentioned in GRAP-IV clauses 1, 2 and 3 have not made any serious efforts to implement the action under clauses 1 to 3. Some police teams were deputed at some entry points, that too without any specific instructions. The (court) commissioners have said that the police were deployed only on November 23 and thus it is a serious lapse on the part of the authorities. Therefore, we direct the Commission to immediately initiate action under Section 14 of the CAQM Act 2021,” the bench underlined.

However, the court refused to ease anti-pollution GRAP-4 restrictions in the region, saying it would consider easing the restrictions only if there is a sustained improvement in the air quality index (AQI).

The national capital has been battling adverse air pollution levels, shrouded in toxic smog for several weeks. However, there was a marginal improvement earlier in the day as the air quality index (AQI) improved from ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, between 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, between 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 and between 500 is considered ‘severe’.

(with inputs from agencies)