Delhi air pollution: DU colleges and schools go online, a health advice is issued, and the AQI reaches 500 (severe plus).

Delhi air pollution: On Monday, the Delhi administration declared that classes 10 and 12 will no longer be held in person.

Delhi AQI today: Even on Tuesday morning, November 19, a thick layer of smog covered the National Capital Region (NCR) for the seventh day in a row, and the air quality in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram reached "alarmingly high" levels. Most AQI stations reached the 500-mark (severe plus).

In the face of deteriorating air quality in the nation's capital, Delhi University has decided to switch to online courses until November 23 and Jawaharlal Nehru University until November 22, while the Union Health Secretary issued an updated advisory to states and union territories on Monday regarding air pollution.

Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, and numerous other locations in Delhi had air quality indexes (AQIs) that over 500 at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, raising concerns for public health and safety, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Delhi air pollution: ten recent developments

1. The localities in Delhi with the poorest air quality at 5am were Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (500), Dwarka sector-8 (498), Munka (500), North Campus (500), RK Puram (499), and Wazirpur (500).
   
   
2. Regular sessions in "physical mode" will resume on November 25th, according to a notice from Delhi University. According to JNU's statement, all classes will be held online till November 22. However, the universities maintained that the exam and interview schedules have not changed.
   
   
3. In the sake of public health, the Delhi government has called the air situation a "medical emergency" and asked institutions to take precautionary action. Weather and stubble burning are the two main elements influencing the air quality in the city.
   
   
4. Because of the bad air, a number of local universities and schools have already begun switching to online instruction. The Delhi government declared on Monday that classes 10 and 12 will no longer have in-person instruction.
   
   
5. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi stated in a post on X that "all studies will be shifted online and physical classes shall be suspended for Class 10 and 12 as well from tomorrow."
   
   
6. The heads of government and private schools were also instructed via a circular from the directorate of education to stop teaching all students, including those in classes 10 and 12.
   
   
7. States and UTs are advised by the Union health secretary's guidance to improve their current health systems and increase awareness among at-risk occupations and vulnerable populations. The recommendation recommends creating thorough action plans at the municipal and district levels to address the health effects of climate change, including methods to reduce air pollution.
   
   
8. In order to effectively respond to and monitor illnesses linked to air pollution in each state or union territory, it also places a strong emphasis on growing the network of sentinel hospitals.
   
   
9. The Supreme Court ordered all states in the Delhi-NCR region to immediately establish teams to strictly enforce anti-pollution Graded Response Action Plan-4 (GRAP) restrictions after the AQI entered the "severe plus" category, choking the nation's capital. The court made it clear that the curbs would remain in place until further orders. According to the court, every state has a constitutional obligation to guarantee that all of its residents live in a pollution-free environment.
   
   
10. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was also criticized by the Supreme Court for "delaying" the execution of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and for taking the "wrong" approach.