Delhi Shuts Schools Till Wednesday

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Sunday unveiled a slew of steps, including closure of all schools for three days, to battle unprecedented smog levels that have drastically cut visibility and turned the national capital into a virtual gas chamber.

Schools: The school closure is aimed at preventing children from getting affected by the dangerous pollution levels which have forced people to use surgical masks while travelling in the city. Municipal schools in north and east Delhi will remain closed till Wednesday, while those in south Delhi will remain shut for the entire week due to the alarming pollution levels in the national capital, officials said.

"We have ordered the schools to remain shut till November 9. We will assess the situation after that and take a decision accordingly," North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Mayor Sanjeev Nayyar said. Schools of East Delhi Municipal Corporation will also remain closed till November 9, said an EDMC official. All SDMC schools will remain closed till November 12 due to the high level of pollution and smog, South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Shyam Sharma said. "We have also urged the parents to take special care of the children as they are vulnerable to the situation," he added. A decision was taken by the Delhi civic authorities Saturday to close nearly 17,000 schools under the three municipal corporations of Delhi for a day in view of the heavy smog, the worst the national capital has witnessed in 17 years. About 10 lakh students are enrolled in the schools run by by SDMC, NDMC and EDMC.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday accused schools of doing politics over Delhi government's order to shut them for three days in the wake of alarming levels of pollution and said it has been decided to ensure good health of children. "Schools have been shut due to alarming situation of pollution in Delhi. Some schools are doing politics over it. This decision is in favour of students," he said. Private schools are directed to follow it and not play with the health of children, he said in a series of tweets.

While few private schools welcomed the move, there were few who raised concerns about the syllabus of students suffering due to unexpected holidays. Government cannot order shutting of schools like this. Health is important but we need to focus on finishing syllabus also. Our schools will remain open, said R C Jain, head of Delhi State Public Schools' Management Association.

Construction Work Halted: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also banned construction and demolition work for five days and the use of diesel-run generator sets for 10 days in a desperate bid to control a crisis that has choked Delhi.

He also announced a slew of emergency measures to deal with the situation including ban on construction and demolition activities for next five days and temporary closure of Badarpur Power Plant. But Kejriwal maintained that this was a larger problem involving neighbouring states, where farmers are said to be burning crop stubble in a wide area, and sought the central government's intervention.

Flights Diverted: Nine flights, including three chartered planes were delayed by 4-5 hours from landing in Delhi this morning due to the smog situation there. The aircrafts were diverted to Sanganer Airport here, an official said, adding that one of the charted planes was carrying BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya. All the flights later departed for Delhi where they landed in the evening, Sanganer Airport Director J S Balahar said.

Activists Take Out Rally: People from all walks of life, including school students, activists and actors, assembled at Jantar Mantar on Sunday and raised concern over the alarming levels of pollution in the city. The gathering saw people dressed in white or black attire with their faces covered by masks. Actor and activist Nafisa Ali was part of the meet and said, "The odd-even initiative should come back in the city. There should be a three-day emergency holiday where people should stay inside homes and not bring out their cars to tackle the problem." The event also saw citizens talking about the health hazards caused due to pollution and urged the government to take remedial measures.

Appeal: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a strict enforcement of the ban on burning of trash and dry leaves, saying residents who see violations can report to the government on an app to be unveiled on Monday. Kejriwal also appealed to people to remain indoors as much as possible and said the odd-even transport system may make a comeback. Under the odd-even scheme, implemented twice earlier, vehicles with odd registration number would alone ply on odd dates and those with even registration number on even dates.

Respite: A private weather forecaster however said residents may find respite by Tuesday as strong winds are expected here in next 24-48 hours, which will improve the air quality. Skymet Director Mahesh Palawat said strong winds from Punjab and Haryana will push the pollution away, adding air quality will improve further if strong winds continue for several more days, due to change in pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

Delhi's pollution levels worsened after Diwali on October 30. The dismal air quality has been attributed to low wind speed and high humidity which has blocked dispersal of pollutants.