Delhi Pollution: Schools Up To Class 5 In Delhi-NCR Switch To Hybrid Mode After Air Quality Dips Further

Delhi Air Pollution: Delhi is choking as the air quality continues to get worse ahead of Diwali. On Saturday, the city's overall AQI was recorded at 364 at 8 AM. Amid the deteriorating air quality, schools in the national capital, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat have been asked to follow hybrid mode up to Class 5.

Announcing the directive, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a video message, said that hybrid learning will be mandatory for students up to class five in these cities. The decision comes amid Delhi's imposition of stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Friday.

Hybrid Mode Mandatory Up To Class 5

“All schools up to the fifth grade are required to operate in a hybrid mode; this is mandatory. These restrictions also apply to the NCR cities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Sonipat," Sirsa said.

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GRAP III Imposed In Delhi-NCR

Delhi-NCR residents are now under stricter pollution rules after the CAQM enforced GRAP III. The move follows a sharp rise in pollution levels, with Delhi’s air quality index hitting 382. That puts the city in the "very poor."

The new restrictions hit older, more polluting vehicles hardest. Petrol cars that only meet BS-III standards or earlier, and diesel vehicles that meet BS-IV or older norms, are banned from the roads in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. Goods vehicles face extra restrictions. Diesel medium goods vehicles registered in Delhi that are BS-IV or older cannot run.

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Diesel medium and light goods vehicles registered outside Delhi are also barred from entering the capital, with the exception that vehicles specially modified for the personal use of people with disabilities are still allowed.

CAQM has said these measures will stay in place until the Stage III restrictions are officially lifted. Residents are being asked to follow the rules and keep an eye on any further updates from the commission or local authorities.

Weather conditions may make the situation tougher over the weekend. Officials have warned that wind speeds are expected to drop from Saturday, which could slow the dispersal of pollutants and let them build up closer to the ground.