Air unlock: Schools, colleges in Delhi can reopen from Monday

NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday announced a phase-wise relaxation in the restrictions imposed to deal with the air emergency in the capital. All schools, colleges, other educational institutions and libraries will reopen from November 29.
The Delhi government has also allowed the entry of CNG and electric trucks, along with commercial vehicles catering to essential services, from November 27. Entry of other trucks will remain prohibited till December 3. Government offices will reopen on November 29 with the work-from-home provision coming to an end.
The easing was announced on a day when pollution levels increased with the air quality worsening. According to IITM-Pune's early warning system, it is likely to stay "very poor" for the next five days.
Rai, who reviewed the situation with senior officials, noted that "there have been improvements in Delhi's pollution levels for the past three days" while announcing the decisions.
Parents remain split over the decision to reopen schools, and school managements say that because of the 50% ceiling on the capacity of a classroom to ensure social distancing, they will anyway have to stagger classes. Primary school students may be the last to be called. Colleges are yet to evolve a strategy and are likely to continue with the online mode in the short term.
Though the government has allowed entry of CNG and electric trucks, experts said there aren't too many around. "There, really, aren't any CNG or electric trucks, but quite a few logistics companies have switched to smaller CNG and electric vehicles," said a Delhi government official. Delhi Goods Transport Organisation president Rajendra Kapoor said, "There are CNG-run small goods vehicles but these are very few and ply locally in Delhi. Trucks carrying bulk goods don't run on CNG because these vehicles make long journeys from as far as Tamil Nadu and Kerala and can't be refuelled on the way."
"What happens to the trucks waiting near the border to enter Delhi? if a truck has come from Kerala, it is not going all the way back laden with goods," Kapoor said, complaining that transporters were facing a lot of problems.
CNG is not easily available outside NCR, and that's the reason why Delhi Transport Corporation, which has a CNG-run fleet, doesn't operate any long-distance inter-state services. The nearly 3,500 buses arriving from other states run on diesel.
With all government offices set to reopen from November 29, the Delhi government has advised employees to use public transport and plans to introduce special CNG bus services for them. "There are areas like Nimri Colony, Gulabi Bagh and Timarpur where a large number of Delhi government employees stay. The Kejriwal government has decided to start special bus services in all these areas. Private CNG buses, which the government had hired recently, will be used for this purpose. To promote the use of Metro, we have decided to start shuttle bus services from Delhi Secretariat to the nearest Metro station," said Rai.
The Delhi government had on March 13 announced the closure of educational institutes and work-for-home provision for government employees to curb vehicular pollution. However, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas on November 16 ordered a ban on entry of non-essential trucks till November and the Delhi environment department extended the ban on November 21.
"We are reopening things but our fight against pollution will continue. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to cooperate because together we can reduce this pollution further so that Delhi can have better air. The conditions will definitely improve and the government will not shy away from taking any tough step if needed," Rai said.