Delhi air pollution: Primary schools to reopen, truck entry ban also lifted

New Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, announced that the primary schools in India's capital city will reopen from Wednesday (November 9) as there is a slight improvement in the air quality in the region.

New Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said last week that the primary schools in the national capital would be closed because of the extremely poor air pollution, which is causing health hazards.

Now, Rai has announced that the schools will re-open, and also a ban on open-air activities is being lifted. He further mentioned that the ban on truck entry has also been lifted.

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While addressing a media briefing on Monday, Rai said: "In Delhi, the pollution level had crossed 450 in the last few days, due to which CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) had directed to implement phase four of the GRAP under which the entry of trucks was banned, primary schools were closed, 50 per cent work from home was instructed in government offices."

"However, air quality has been improving rapidly since yesterday (Sunday) and now the AQI stands at 350, and the wind direction has changed. In view of this, the CAQM decided to withdraw the phase four measures," he added.

Due to the air pollution, the Delhi government had asked half of its staff to work from home, but now it has been revoked as the minister said that the offices will be back to working at full capacity from Monday.

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Regarding construction, Rai said that except for railway, metro, airport, defence, and hospital, all other construction work will be banned under phase three of the GRAP.