Government-aided and private schools in Delhi reopened on Monday following an early winter break, as restrictions under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were lifted due to an improvement in the city’s air quality. Morning assemblies and outdoor sports activities have been suspended in schools for the next week, as per an order issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE). The decision to resume classes came after a shutdown and winter break were implemented on November 8 due to escalating pollution and health concerns in the city.

The DoE issued the order for class resumption on Saturday, citing improved Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and no significant indications of a sharp degradation in the AQI in the near future. Delhi experienced ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality for two weeks starting October 28, with a brief improvement around November 11 and 12 characterized by clear skies and abundant sunshine. However, this improvement was short-lived as pollution levels rose on Diwali due to the violation of the ban on firecrackers.

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On Saturday, the Centre eased stringent measures under Stage IV of GRAP, including a ban on construction work related to linear projects and the entry of polluting trucks into Delhi, considering the dip in air pollution levels. These measures constitute the final stage of the Centre’s air pollution control plan.

Despite these measures, air quality in Delhi and its suburbs deteriorated again on Monday, with forecasts suggesting limited relief in the coming days. The city’s AQI stood at 338 on Monday morning, declining from 301 on Sunday morning and 290 on Saturday morning. The 24-hour average AQI recorded at 4 pm was 319 on Saturday, 405 on Friday, and 419 on Thursday.

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