Schools & Colleges Shut in Delhi Due to Toxic Pollution
The Commission for Air Quality Management has issued strict guidelines to curb the thick toxic smog in Delhi.
During Diwali, residents of Delhi burst many crackers. The smoke from the crackers mixed with the fog which led to a thick toxic smog that has spread across Delhi and its neighbouring cities. Delhi and surrounding areas, including Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad, have been choking under a deadly blanket of polluted air beginning with Diwali on November 4. People can’t see roads properly, some suffer from itchy eyes, etc. The situation is so bad that Breathing the Delhi air is "like smoking 20 cigarettes a day." The Supreme Court shouted at the Central Government and the Delhi State Government saying that they need to have a proper plan and manage the air pollution in the state and keep residents safe. This is why the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced some strict rules. Keep watching the video to know more about them.
On 16 November the CAQM announced that all schools and colleges in Delhi and nearby cities should be closed till further notice. Educational institutions will, therefore, likely return to online classes as held during the Covid lockdown. A nine-page order issued by the CAQM also advised state governments of - Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to allow at least 50 per cent of government staff to work from home till November 21. The CAQM has also encouraged private firms in Delhi to allow at least 50 per cent of their staff to work from home.
Construction activities and demolition projects across Delhi & its neighboring cities have been stopped till November 21. But railways, Metro, airports, buses, army, etc. have been allowed to carry out construction & demolition activity. To control pollution, only five of 11 thermal power plants in Delhi will be operational.Delhi & its neighbouring cities have also been directed to stop the entry of trucks, except for those carrying essential commodities. This is also till November 21. Petrol and diesel vehicles older than 15 and 10 years, respectively, will not be allowed on the roads. Drivers of vehicles found without a valid emission control certificate will be hauled up.
