NEW DELHI: Delhi woke up to GRAP Stage III restrictions on Friday, as the city's air quality remained in the 'severe' category for the third consecutive day, prompting strict measures to curb pollution levels.
According to the Sameer app, the Air Quality Index at 9 am was recorded in the 'severe' category (400 to 500), with a reading of 411.
The CAQM imposed GRAP Stage III as the national capital recorded the worst pollution levels in the country, with the air quality remaining in the 'severe' category for two consecutive days.
Prior to entering the 'severe' category, Delhi's air quality had been in the 'very poor ' range for 14 consecutive days.
It directed the authorities in Delhi-NCR to invoke curbs under stage III of the anti-pollution plan with immediate effect.
Curbs under Stage III include a ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
Under the Stage-IV restrictions of GRAP, all inter-state buses from NCR states 'except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses' will be prohibited from entering Delhi, alongside a stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, consideration of shifting to online classes for students up to Class V and daily water sprinkling on major roads.
Meanwhile, out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, a total of 27 stations recorded air quality in the 'severe' category, with readings above 400.
These stations include Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, ITO, Jahangirpuri, Mandir Marg, Mundka, Najafgarh, Nehru Nagar, North Campus, Okhla Phase 2, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, RK Puram, Rohini, and several others.
The city recorded its lowest minimum temperature (night time temperature) of the season at 15.6 degree Celsius, 2.6 notches above normal, according to the weather department.
The night time temperature on Thursday was recorded at 16.1°C, the second highest of the season so far. A thick veil of fog blanketed the city, reducing visibility at Safdarjung to 400 meters at 7 am on Friday.
Humidity was recorded at 98 per cent at 8:30 am.
The weather department has forecast very dense fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to settle at 29 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, Delhi's air quality has been recorded as the worst in the country for the past two days.
Face masks compulsory for students attending school
With primary schools across Delhi switching to online mode in the wake of rising air pollution, authorities are taking measures to safeguard the students of class six and above who would be attending their classes offline.
Sudha Acharya, the Principal of ITL Public School in Dwarka, said, “We’ve implemented guidelines for students attending school. Outdoor activities are restricted. We are encouraging indoor activities such as reading, painting, crafting and games like chess and carrom.”
“We have mandated the use of N95 masks, keep all doors and windows closed and take extra care of students with pre-existing respiratory issues like asthma,” she added. She also shared that the school strictly avoids common allergens and chemical irritants, including fragrances and strong cleaning agents, to maintain a safe indoor environment.
Rajiv Hassija, principal of Indraprastha International School in Dwarka, said that teachers will continue to deliver lessons on campus using Microsoft Teams and smartboards equipped with the full syllabus to facilitate online learning effectively. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Khatri, president of Shiksha Nyay Manch said that online classes would be conducted in MCD-run schools. However, the teachers would have to come to school to take the classes.
