Delhi pollution: Meerut, Ghaziabad & other districts withdraw orders to shut schools

Delhi air pollution update: In a recent move, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has said that Schools in Meerut, Ghaziabad and some other districts of Uttar Pradesh will not be closed anymore due to the Air Pollution problem in Delhi NCR. The order for closing educational institutions was withdrawn on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.  The administration also said that it will not implement the order unless the Uttar Pradesh government orders so.

Orders have been withdrawn from these areas

1. Ghaziabad
2. Gautam Buddh Nagar
3. Meerut
4. Baghpat
5. Muzaffarnagar
6. Shamli
7. Bulandshahr

To be noted that the exact date for offline classes has not been announced yet. Earlier, Schools in Ghaziabad, Meerut, Gautam Buddh Nagar district was told to be closed till further orders. It was so because of the deteriorated Air Quality Index, AQI being observed in Delhi NCR. Students should know that till the dates are announced, online classes will continue.

District Magistrate's statement

"In view of air pollution in the NCR region, it has been decided to shut all the educational institutions in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, till further orders. Online mode of education shall continue," said Suhas LY, District Magistrate earlier in the day. Later the order was withdrawn on the same day. Delhi schools are still closed since November 13 due to air pollution. The schools have been told to remain closed till the next notice from Commission for Air Quality Management, CAQM is released. To be noted that the schools were closed in the state due to Delhi air pollution since November 13, 2021.

On this, CAQM said, “All private and public schools, colleges, educational institutions in NCR shall remain closed until further orders allowing only online mode of education.”

Measures to reduce Air Pollution

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) also said that only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi – NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa – will remain operational till November 30, 2021. The commission directed Delhi and the NCR states to stop construction and demolition activities in the region till November 21, 2021. “All industries in NCR still using unapproved fuels shall be closed by respective governments with immediate effect... NCR States and GNCTD shall enforce a strict ban on use of DG sets, except for emergency services,” the panel said.