After a short closure due to the deteriorating air quality, Delhi schools, colleges and other educational institutes will reopen physical classes from November 29. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai was quoted as saying today by news agency ANI.
"Air quality in Delhi is improving now. Schools, colleges, educational institutes to re-open from 29th November in Delhi," Environment Minister Gopal Rai said. The decision comes after the Delhi government held a review meeting on the current air pollution situation in the national capital. The meeting included experts who discussed extensively on the subject.
A group of 140 parents in the national capital had written to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal seeking his intervention for the reopening of schools. Universities and college students also demanded reopening. A group of students had launched an online protest seeking the reopening of the Delhi University.
Earlier, after 20 months of remaining closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority authorised the reopening of schools for all classes in Delhi at 50% capacity from November 1. However, this coincided with the annual smog season in the national capital.
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After the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held an emergency meeting on the pollution crisis, schools and colleges across the city were declared to be closed till further notice. However, now with the improvement in air quality, the educational institutes are once again preparing to reopen physical classes.
After remaining in the 'severe' and 'very poor' category, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi over the last week improved slightly and recorded at 280 (overall) on Wednesday morning which still marks it in the 'poor' category.
