Delhi: Primary schools shift to hybrid mode, GRAP 3 reimposed amid rise in air pollution levels

The Commission for Air Quality Management on Thursday reimposed emergency measures under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, in the National Capital Region, as the air quality in Delhi plummeted to the “very poor” category.

With this, classes in primary schools – till Class 5 – will transition into hybrid mode in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, The Hindu reported. Parents and students have the option to choose between offline and online classes wherever available.

The GRAP is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent the further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the country.

Stage 3 of the emergency measure includes a shutdown of all demolition work as well as mining and stone-crushing activities in the National Capital Region. It also mandates a ban on the operation of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi and nearby areas. Persons with disabilities are however exempted from the restrictions on vehicles.

At 7.45 pm on Thursday, the average air quality index, or AQI, in Delhi stood at 377, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and…

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