Delhi-NCR Schools Go Hybrid From Today As Air Pollution Worsens Under GRAP Stage 3

Schools in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad will conduct classes for students up to Class 5 in hybrid mode from Thursday, as air pollution continues to worsen across Delhi-NCR. The decision follows the implementation of Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan, which imposes stricter curbs to tackle the deteriorating air quality.

The directive was issued by the District Basic Education Officer's office on 7 November and applies to all government, government-aided and recognised schools in the district. Parents can choose whether to send their children to school or have them attend classes online.

District Basic Education Officer Rahul Pawar said the order complies with the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management dated 6 November. Under Clause 8(ii) of those directions, schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar must run classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode.

The hybrid arrangement means schools will run physical classes alongside online sessions, so that younger children, who are more vulnerable to polluted air, are not forced to travel and sit in classrooms through the worst of the smog.

Air Quality Across The Region

Noida recorded a 24-hour average air quality index of 291 and Greater Noida 257, both in the poor category, in the period from Tuesday 4 pm to Wednesday 4 pm. Delhi's air quality index was around 305, in the very poor category, with GRAP restrictions already in force.

The reading around Dhaula Kuan in Delhi was 128, in the moderate category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board at the time of the update, showing how sharply air quality can vary from one part of the region to another.

Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan is invoked when air quality slips into the severe range or is forecast to do so, and it brings tougher restrictions on construction, industrial activity and vehicle movement. The school measure is one of the steps aimed at protecting children during the worst pollution days.

With winter setting in and pollution levels expected to stay high, the hybrid arrangement is likely to continue until the air improves. Parents have been advised to watch for updates from their children's schools and from the district education office.