PremiumDelhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday announced that primary schools in Delhi which were closed and open activities of classes senior to them were stopped due to a poor air quality will open from 9 November(Wednesday) and also the ban on open activities is being lifted.
The minister further said that ban on private demolition and construction work will continue for now. GRAP stage 3 still remains invoked. So, ban on construction and demolition activities in the entire NCR region except for railway services, metro rail services including stations and other essential activities will continue.
At a press conference, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said there has been a rapid improvement in the air pollution situation in Delhi and farm fires have also reduced.
"Therefore, it has been decided to lift the curbs imposed under stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan in compliance with the direction from the Commission for Air Quality Management," he said.
"Primary schools will reopen from November 9 and the order asking 50 per cent of the government staff to work from home is being revoked," the minister said.
According to the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region (CAQM), "Under Stage III State Governments in NCR/ GNCTD may impose restrictions on BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVS (4 wheelers). Choose a cleaner commute -- share a ride to work or use public transport or walk or cycle.
Earlier, in view of the improvement in the overall air quality of the Delhi-NCR in the past few days, a Central government panel revoked Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 4, which means that there is no ban on entry of trucks and non-BS 6 diesel light motor vehicles are allowed. But ban on non-essential construction activities which come under GRAP-3 now in force would continue.
The GRAP is an emergency response action plan invoked with a view to arrest further deterioration of adverse air quality scenarios in NCR.