With the air quality of the city dipping from “very poor” to the “severe” category, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia and Directorate of Education under the Delhi government to consider shutting down schools for a few days.
“Every year this time Delhi becomes a gas chamber for almost a month. I have requested Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia to consider closing schools for a few days,” tweeted Kejriwal.
The suggestion was a reaction to an advisory issued by Indian Medical Association (IMA) to the Delhi government.
The advisory, to which City Spidey gained access, read: “It is generally advised that when the Air Quality Index [AQI] crosses 400, time spent outdoors should be restricted. Hence, all outdoor sports, marathons and other outdoor activities should be cancelled.”
It added: “Children are more prone to the harmful effects of air pollution, as their lungs are still developing. Children who play or exercise outdoors need more oxygen, so they inhale more polluted air into their lungs, which hampers the growth of their lungs, leading to breathing problems later in life.”
To protect schoolchildren from inhaling the toxic early-morning air, a few schools in Delhi and Noida have already cancelled morning assemblies and all sports activities. Amity International School has even issued an advisory to parents stating the same. Delhi breaking news
Anita Raina, head of Step By Step School in Noida, Sector 132, also sent out an advisory to parents, saying: “This is to inform you that the morning practice sessions of soccer, basketball, tennis, badminton and cricket have been discontinued owing to unfavourable weather conditions, starting from November 2, 2017, till further notice.”
Talking to City Spidey, KK Agarwal, national president, IMA, said, “When the AQI crosses 400, outdoor activities in schools should be suspended. At present, Delhi-NCR’s AQI has crossed 900 in some areas, which is dangerous. Hence, we have suggested that schools be shut till November 9.”
Dr Ajay Agarwal, director, department of internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Noida, told City Spidey that instead of shutting down schools, timings should be shifted. He said, “Schools can start between 10 am and 11 am, when pollution levels are lower.”
Earlier, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority, or EPCA, had on October 18 released its graded action plan for tackling air pollution in the NCR. It had also said that if the air quality remained in the “severe” category for more than 48 hours, schools needed to be shut down.
