Haryana government orders school closures and online classes because of hazardous air quality, posing health issues.
Chandigarh: The Haryana government has issued directives for the temporary closure of all schools up to class 5, amid deteriorating air quality in the state, especially in districts falling under National Capital Region.
As per the orders issued by the state government, it was decided that the concerned Deputy Commissioners will assess the prevailing situation (as per GRAP) in view of the severe AQI levels in Delhi and surrounding regions, and may discontinue physical classes and issue necessary directions for holding online classes for students up to class 5 in government and private schools in the interest of the health and safety of the students.
The assessment for rural and urban areas of the concerned districts may be carried out separately, reads the order.
As per the information, the government may also issue directives for online classes in both government and private schools. The development comes a few days after the Delhi government had issued directives to shut primary schools and switched to online learning until further notice.
The air quality in Haryana deteriorated soon after Diwali as the Air Quality Index of several cities plummeted to Severe, Very Poor and Poor categories.
As per the air quality bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality of Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Gurugram, Jind, Kaithal, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipat was reported as “Very Poor”, with the AQI level recorded between 301 to 400, while Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Dharuhera, Faridabad, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Manesar and Yamunanagar experienced “Poor” air quality with the AQI level recorded between 201 to 300.
The government restrictions were imposed under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management earlier this week. Earlier on Friday, the Delhi government had banned private BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles — with violations inviting a penalty of Rs 20,000.
It has also prohibited the entry of diesel and petrol inter-state buses from the NCR cities into Delhi and certain categories of construction activities.
With the people of the northern region experiencing hazardous air as a thick blanket of smog has covered the region, environmental experts expressed concerns that the polluted air could lead to severe health issues if the ongoing air quality levels persist for next couple of days.