The Delhi government has taken the decision to adjust the schedule for the winter break in response to the ongoing 'severe' air pollution situation in the national capital. The revised winter break will now commence from November 9 and continue through to November 18. Initially, due to the deteriorating air quality, school holidays had been scheduled from November 3 to November 10. This decision was conveyed through an official circular released on Wednesday, November 8.
"In light of the implementation of GRAP-IV measures in response to the Severe Air Quality conditions prevailing in Delhi and considering the absence of any anticipated relief from these adverse weather conditions in the near future as per the IMO's projections, the Winter Break for the academic session 2023-24 is being rescheduled, allowing schools to be completely closed, enabling both students and teachers to stay at home," the circular explained.
As a result, all schools are directed to observe the Winter Break from November 9, 2023 (beginning tomorrow) to November 18, 2023 (Saturday)," it further specified.
On Wednesday, the air quality in Delhi and its neighbouring regions once again deteriorated to the 'severe' category, primarily due to the burning of post-harvest paddy straw in nearby states, which significantly contributed to the pollution levels in the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi reached 421, marking a deterioration from the 395 recorded at 4 pm on Tuesday.
Despite a slight improvement, the concentration of PM2.5, a fine particulate matter known for its capacity to deeply penetrate the respiratory system and pose health risks, exceeded the government's recommended safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter by a substantial margin, ranging from seven to eight times.
Notably, the PM2.5 levels in the capital were 30 to 40 times higher than the healthy limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Several cities in the Indo-Gangetic plains region also reported hazardous air quality levels, including neighboring areas like Ghaziabad (AQI 382), Gurugram (AQI 370), Noida (AQI 348), Greater Noida (AQI 474), and Faridabad (AQI 396).
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