Delhi AQI slips to 319; Noida and Ghaziabad mandate hybrid classes up to class 5, ban construction

The air quality in Delhi fell into the 'Very Poor' category on Thursday, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to 319 due to thick smog in the region. In order to protect students from harmful air and prevent dust pollution, the authorities in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad have switched to hybrid classes for students from nursery to Class 5.

While the AQI in Delhi is recorded to be 319, various localized AQI stations showed alarming data.    
          
IHIT Delhi, located in the city, recorded an alarming AQI of 412.

The following locations were also placed in categories close to that of civilization:
       
ITO (394), North Campus (392), chandni Chowk (388).
       
Other major stations had AQI readings of:
       
Pusa (382) DTU 379, Burari (378),

JNU (376) Mathura Road (363), Aya Nagar (361) and talkatora (359).
  
Gautam Buddh Nagar District Basic Education Officer (BSA) Rahul Panwar has ordered the enforcement of mandatory hybrid mode of teaching from nursery to Class 5 students across schools in Noida and Greater Noida.

It is applicable to all council-run schools, government-aided schools, and other recognized private institutions alike.
   
The authorities have instructed schools to have online classes while offering them physical classes so that parents can make the choice of letting their children stay at home.
   
The authorities warned school heads and management of strict action if any school fails to comply with the regulations. 
           
In Ghaziabad, the District Magistrate has directed the District Magistrate to undertake strict actions against any construction or demolition work until November 20.

The administration introduced three official regulations to control road dust and ensure adherence to the law:

Zero-tolerance approach: Five-member inspection teams established by Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, GDA, Housing Board, and PWD are monitoring the areas of active construction in order to prevent any unauthorized construction activity.
   
Doubling dust suppression: Local organizations have been instructed to increase road cleaning and spraying capacity by two times on busy roads.
   
Conducting hybrid classes: It has been mandated that all educational institutions in Ghaziabad will start conducting classes for students of Grade 5 in hybrid mode immediately.

Analysis of trends in pollution: Air pollution reports have been received for the period from Wednesday to Thursday.

Over the time frames of 24 hours, the air pollution levels have increased in the region. In the morning on Wednesday (11 November) at 6 am, the AQI in Delhi was 299, the AQI in Gurugram was 295, and Noida stood at 276.

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