Govt wants to reopen schools in a week, to approach CAQM

New Delhi: Even as the air quality in the Capital dipped back into the "very poor" category on Monday, the Delhi government has decided to write to the Centre — asking them to greenlight a proposal to reopen schools and educational institutes from December 20 onwards, with Environment Minister Gopal Rai saying that this proposal from the education department will be sent to the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and Adjoining Areas.

Schools and educational institutions were first shut in light of the hazardous air quality post-Diwali. Following this, they were reopened but after the Supreme Court rapped the government for this, the Delhi government had once again shut down schools — continuing online classes till they are reopened. Amid these regular shut-downs, parents have made several appeals asking for schools to be reopened.

Moreover, the Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has also called for schools and educational institutes to be reopened.

The minister said the education department has sent a proposal to the environment department, seeking immediate reopening of schools and coaching centres for students in Class 6 and above, and in colleges. Rai added that the proposal also calls for lower classes to be resumed from December 20.

Rai said that the proposal will be sent to the CAQM now as the Supreme Court had empowered it to take further calls on restrictions imposed in light of air pollution. In fact, the construction ban, which was also re-imposed after the top court's intervention, has caused problems to many agencies.

After an inter-departmental meeting on air pollution, Rai said that the Delhi government had received multiple representations about this and asked all concerned construction and building agencies to send a written representation to the CAQM as the top court had in the last hearing said the Commission should take a call on lifting the ban as per its discretion.

But the minister added that the Delhi government will review the ban on construction activities on December 16.

However, the Environment Minister said that the ban on entry of trucks, barring CNG, e-trucks and those engaged in essential services, will continue till further orders.

On Monday, the CPCB reported that the 24-hour average AQI in Delhi had climbed up to 331. The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR said moderate wind speed and partly cloudy conditions are likely to keep air quality within the "lower" end of the "very poor" for the next two days.

The Environment Minister said that the water sprinkling drive to control dust pollution will continue and necessary directions have been issued to the fire department, civic bodies and other departments. Under the anti-dust campaign, 6,953 sites have been inspected and fines of Rs 1.65 crore has been imposed for violations at 597 sites.

Under the anti-burning campaign, 16,580 sites have been inspected and a cumulative fine of Rs 46 lakh has been imposed for violations at 2,490 sites, Rai said. The environment department has received 6,975 pollution-related complaints on the Green Delhi application since October, of which 81 per cent have been resolved.

Around 19.50 lakh pollution-under-control certificates have been checked in the capital and 49,000 vehicles have been challaned.