Delhi pollution: CM Atishi announces online classes for schools as air quality deteriorates

New Delhi: Chief Minister Atishi announced on Sunday that all schools in Delhi will switch to online classes starting Monday due to the implementation of GRAP-4 (Graded Response Action Plan) restrictions. This decision comes in response to the alarming deterioration of air quality in the National Capital.  

Physical classes for all grades, except Class 10 and 12, will be discontinued until further notice. Students in these two grades will continue in-person classes to prepare for their board examinations.  

"With the imposition of GRAP-4 from tmrw, physical classes shall be discontinued for all students, apart from Class 10 and 12. All schools will hold online classes, until further orders," CM Atishi stated.  

The announcement came hours after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under the Stage 4 of GRAP, effective from 8 am Monday. 

Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened on Sunday, reaching 441 at 4 pm and rising to 457 by 7 pm due to unfavourable weather conditions. The GRAP-4 restrictions, part of a graded plan to tackle air pollution, were enacted after Delhi's AQI spiked to hazardous levels, raising serious concerns about public health.