Amidst ‘severe plus’ air pollution levels choking Delhi, schools in the capital and NCR cities like Noida, Faridabad, and Haryana have switched to online classes. The Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhi and neighboring states, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab to immediately enforce Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The directives include shutting schools, implementing remote work for employees, and suspending industrial operations. These measures will remain in effect until further notice, irrespective of whether the Air Quality Index (AQI) drops below the critical threshold of 401.
In response to worsening pollution levels, the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram has directed the closure of all schools up to Class 12th. Physical classes have been suspended, and schools will remain shut until November 23 or till further directives are issued.
Gurugram school closure: Official notification
The Twitter post of the DC Gurugram mentions, “As per directives from Director Secondary Education Haryana, and after assessing the Air Quality Index (AQI) situation, all physical classes up to 12th standard in District Gurugram will remain suspended from 19th Nov 2024 to 23rd Nov 2024 (or until further orders). AQI has worsened to a Severe category in some areas. Online classes will continue during this period in all Government & Private Schools.”
Previously, the directive was released notifying closure of the schools till 5th grade, later a new notice declared school closures up to 12th class.
The Supreme Court has issued critical directives regarding physical classes and adherence to GRAP measures. It proposed that all NCR states evaluate suspending physical activities up to Class 12. Additionally, the Court mandated the formation of monitoring teams to ensure compliance with GRAP Stage IV, the creation of a complaint system for reporting violations, and the submission of state governments’ GRAP Stage IV implementation plans ahead of the next hearing.