Primary schools in Gurugram shut amid rising air pollution

Gurugram, Nov 18 (IANS) Amid rising air pollution in Delhi and NCR, the Gurugram administration ordered the temporary closing of primary schools in the district on Monday.

The orders issued said that the status of the Air Quality Index (AQI) was analysed in the district. In which it was found that in the last 24 hours, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in some areas of the district has been in the "very poor" category and has reached the "severe" category.

“Therefore, in the interest of the health and safety of the children, it has been decided that all classes up to 5th standard will remain discontinued from 19.11.2024 to further order in all areas (urban as well as rural) of the district. Online classes will be conducted instead of physical classes in all government and private schools in the district,” said the order.

The decision comes two days after the Haryana government authorised deputy commissioners to temporarily shut physical classes up to Class 5 in schools in their respective districts after assessing the situation in the wake of rising pollution levels.

Explaining the rise in pollution levels, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday, "The main smog conditions with wind speed less than 6 km from variable directions prevailed over the region in the forenoon."

According to the air quality early warning system, pollution is likely to stagnate at the ‘very poor' level for several days.

"Meteorological conditions are likely to remain extremely unfavourable for effective dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor' category from Tuesday to Thursday.

Doctors said, that to avoid the impact of poor air quality on health, especially during high-smog periods, ‘we must adopt several precautions residents can take’.

"Staying indoors during early in the morning, is advisable, as pollution levels tend to be higher then. For those who must go outside, wearing an N95 mask can help filter out fine particulate matter that may otherwise enter the lungs. Using air purifiers indoors can also be beneficial, particularly for individuals with pre-existing respiratory or heart conditions," Virender Yadav, chief medical officer (CMO) Gurugram said.