Schools in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad have been directed to shift classes for students up to Class 5 to hybrid mode from Thursday, allowing children to attend lessons either physically or online, as air pollution continues to remain a concern across the National Capital Region (NCR).
The commission’s sub-committee took the decision after reviewing the prevailing pollution situation and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. The corporation, development authority, all municipal councils, housing development board, and public works department shall constitute five teams each. The district magistrate also directed that mechanical road sweeping and water sprinkling be carried out at twice the present capacity to curb pollution.
CAQM invoked Stage 3 of GRAP on November 6, adding its measures to those under Stages 1 and 2. “The district magistrate directed that all government and private construction and demolition projects shall remain closed from November 5 to November 20. Ghaziabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 297 on Wednesday, while Noida recorded 290 and Greater Noida 257, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily bulletin.
The teams shall ensure regular inspection in their areas and ensure that no construction work is being carried out,” the district administration said in a statement. All three cities were in the “poor” category. District magistrate Ravinder Mandar held a meeting on Wednesday with officials from various departments and agencies, including the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), transport department, Ghaziabad municipal corporation and public works department.
