As AQI turns 'severe', classes 1 to 8 in Noida will shift online till November 8

NOIDA: The Noida administration and education department on Thursday asked schools to shift to online mode for classes 1 to 8 till November 8 as the air quality turned 'severe' and restrictions under GRAP-4 were implemented across Delhi-NCR.
They, however, left it to the schools to take a call on whether offline classes should continue for senior students.
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Officials said the weatherman had predicted similar conditions for the next few days. With delayed harvests in Punjab and Haryana, farm fires are likely to peak over the next couple of weeks and adversely affect the air quality further in the region.

Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari, who reviewed measures like installation of water sprinklers, anti-smog guns, mechanical sweeping machines and removal of construction waste in the city, said, "For now, there will be online classes for students of classes 1 to 8. For seniors, schools can take a call." Maheshwari passed the order in the absence of the district magistrate, who is on leave.
Later in the evening, the education department issued an order. The order by Dhramveer Singh, the district inspector of schools in Noida, said classes for students of classes 1 to 8 would be held online till November 8. "Classes from 9-12 should also be held online, if possible. All outdoor activities in schools shall remain banned till further notice. The school principals are directed to ensure its compliance," the order said.
No such order was issued in Ghaziabad till late on Thursday evening.
Some schools said they had already banned outdoor activity. "It is the social responsibility of people to work for a better environment and ensure healthy air. We have already banned outdoor activities for now," said Asha Prabhakar, the principal of Bal Bharati Public School.
Aaron Jacob, the director of Pathways School, echoed her. "We monitor AQI twice daily. In the buildings, we have a two-stage air filtration system. We are confident about the quality of air inside classrooms and indoor sports areas," he added.
On Thursday, Noida recorded an AQI of 423, while Greater Noida and Ghaziabad registered AQIs of 418 and 416, respectively, all in the 'severe' category. This was the worst air quality of the season. Last year, the AQI in the three cities had slipped into the 'sever' category on November 5. While Noida had an AQI of 475, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad had clocked 464 and 470, respectively.
With the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed that all trucks, apart from those carrying essential goods or running on CNG, be stopped outside Delhi. It also banned the plying of diesel vehicles that are below BSVI.
Other directions under GRAP-4 include closure of all industries other than those running on prescribed fuels and ban on all construction activities. The CAQM has also asked the administrations of NCR districts to explore the option of allowing offices to operate at 50% capacity. The Noida Authority on Thursday asked the agency operating the mechanical sweeping machines to first sprinkle water on the roads and then conduct sweeping.