Government-aided and private schools in Delhi reopened on Monday following an early winter break, as restrictions under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were lifted due to an improvement in the city’s air quality. Morning assemblies and outdoor sports activities have been suspended in schools for the next week, as per an order issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE). The decision to resume classes came after a shutdown and winter break were implemented on November 8 due to escalating pollution and health concerns in the city.
The DoE issued the order for class resumption on Saturday, citing improved Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and no significant indications of a sharp degradation in the AQI in the near future. Delhi experienced ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality for two weeks starting October 28, with a brief improvement around November 11 and 12 characterized by clear skies and abundant sunshine. However, this improvement was short-lived as pollution levels rose on Diwali due to the violation of the ban on firecrackers.
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