Delhi pollution: Govt to hold high-level meet today, GRAP-4 restrictions, online classes to be in focus

The Delhi government will hold a high-level meeting on rising pollution levels and worsening air quality in the national capital today. Restrictions under the stage four of the Graded Action Plan and holding online classes for school students will be the key focal points of this meet, sources confirmed to India Today.

Transport department and MCD officials will also be present during the meeting to be headed by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai. The state government has rolled out special buses to encourage people to use public transport.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia will also hold a press conference at around 12 pm today. The development comes after child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a notice to the AAP government over closure of schools.

NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo asked the Delhi government to consider closing schools unless the air quality in the national capital improves. Residents in Delhi and neighbouring cities woke up to thick smog and ‘severe’ air quality today. AQI in Noida stood at 562 whereas AQI in Gurugram was 539 earlier in the day. The AQI near Delhi University area was 563 whereas Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 472 today. Most stations in the national capital have recorded an AQI of over 300 with exception of stations like Mandir Marg.

A forecast by System of Air Quality And Weather Forecasting And Research) predicted the condition of air quality in Delhi and neighbouring cities will deteriorate further and any sort of improvement is likely from November 5.

The forecast read, “Air quality is likely to remain within ‘severe’ today and likely to improve tomorrow to ‘lower end of severe’ and from 5th onwards air quality is likely to improve further to ‘very poor’ due to upper-level wind reversal that prevents inflow of stubble-related pollutants. Higher surface wind speed on 5th November is likely to disperse pollutants.”

(With inputs from Amit Bharadwaj)

Also read: Noida schools start online classes due to worsening air quality; AQI stands at 562