NEW DELHI, Nov 14 (NNN-PTI) – All schools in Delhi will be shut down on Nov 14 and 15 (today and tomorrow), in the wake of extreme air pollution levels prevailing in the city, said the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA).
Keeping in mind the hazardous exposure of children to air pollution, “we are constrained to take these steps because the current weather conditions are trapping pollutants and without any possibility of dispersion for the next two days, the condition of air quality is extremely unhealthy,” said the EPCA, which has been mandated by the country’s apex court, the Supreme Court of India.
The EPCA also shut all hot mix plants and stone crushers till Nov 15, besides closing down all coal and other fuel based industries, which have not shifted to natural gas or agro-residue in nearby towns like, Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Sonepat, Panipat, Bahadurgarh and Bhiwadi.
Some areas near Delhi, like Gurugram, in neighbouring state of Haryana, witnessed an AQI above 500, posing an “Emergency” situation.
Noida, a city in neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, too, continues to record an AQI of above 500.
According to media reports, the prevailing air quality conditions in and around the Indian capital may lead to serious health problems like respiratory diseases and even heart ailments.
The main reason attributed to the deteriorated air quality is the burning of crop residues by farmers, in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.– NNN-PTI
