Delhi govt says will decide on school reopening, work-from-home mode on Wednesday

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Monday announced that the Delhi government will take a call on the reopening of schools, work from home for government staff on November 24, Wednesday. The announcements came after a meeting earlier today. 

The minister also said that in view of improvement in air quality, the government has lifted ban on construction and demolition activities. He also added, "If any agency is found violating dust control norms, Delhi government will stop work and impose penalty without notice."

We will also discuss if CNG-operated trucks carrying non-essential items can be allowed to enter Delhi, he said.

The Delhi government on Sunday night extended the ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items and work-from-home for its employees till November 26 to combat air pollution and minimise its health effects.

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain in the "poor to moderate" category on Monday and Tuesday.

The air quality for the subsequent five days is also likely to remain in the "poor to the lower end of the very poor category", it said.

On Sunday, winds gusting up to 20 kilometre per hour barrelled through the city, dispersing pollutants partially and improving visibility.

The city recorded its 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 349, down from 374 on Saturday. Neighbouring Faridabad (377), Ghaziabad (319), Gurugram (364) and Noida (322) also recorded the air quality in the "very poor" category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

R K Jenamani, a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said the wind speed reached up to 20 kmph during the day, improving visibility from 800 metre in the morning to the range of 2,200 to 3,000 metre at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Safdarjung Airport.

Winds gusting up to 30 kilometre per hour are likely on Monday, the IMD said.

Also read: Delhi pollution: Govt offices to operate in work from home mode for a week, says CM Kejriwal

Also read: Delhi extends ban on entry of trucks, WFH for govt employees till Nov 26