New Delhi: Schools in Delhi will have their winter break in November and not December, the government announced Wednesday, in view of the unabating pollution levels in the national capital region.
The winter vacation dates have been changed to 9-18 November, the Delhi education department said, adding there was no respite from the “severe” air quality in the near future.
"In the wake of the implementation of GRAP-IV measures due to the Severe + Air Quality prevailing in Delhi and seeing that no respite from such adverse weather conditions in near future is predicted by the IMD, the Winter Break for the session 2023-24 is ordered to be preponed so… pic.twitter.com/s91ySTWEg0
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 8, 2023
A toxic haze engulfs Delhi and the national capital region every winter due to local pollution sources, construction dust, vehicle emissions and stubble burning in neighbouring states.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered authorities in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to stop farmers burning crop residue, as air quality reached hazardous levels.
The top court made the local police station in-charge responsible for ensuring that the court’s directions were followed, under supervision of the states’ chief secretary.
The court also suggested a gradual switch-over from rice crops or paddy to less water-intensive alternative crops.
“We don’t know how you do it, it’s your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately,” a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia told the Advocate General of Punjab Gurminder Singh. Both Punjab and Delhi are ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn crop stubble left behind after rice is harvested in late October to early November to quickly clear their fields before planting wheat crops.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said Wednesday that the inoperational smog towers in the capital would start working from tomorrow.
VIDEO | "We are stringently implementing GRAP in Delhi but the neighbouring governments and Centre are not doing anything. We hope that after the SC observation, anti-pollution measures will be taken in these states," says Delhi minister @AapKaGopalRai.#DelhiAirPollution pic.twitter.com/8pHUuEzDHw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 8, 2023
He also complained that neighbouring states were not working hard enough to rein in pollution, while Delhi had strictly enforced GRAP – the emergency action plan implemented in four stages depending upon the severity of the air pollution that is determined by the air quality index (AQI). He hoped they would sit up after the Supreme Court’s directives Wednesday.
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