Delhi-NCR Air Pollution Case: SC Orders School Closures, Calls for WFH Consideration Amid Pollution Crisis
Amid Delhi-NCR pollution flare-up, the Supreme Court has asked schools to shut all senior classes and sought work-from-home facilities for all employees in the government as well as private departments. The court was alarmed at the delayed remedial measures when preventive steps to check the air quality crisis remained back in limbo: the hazardous AQI levels went well beyond 450.
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution Case: As the air pollution in Delhi-NCR has started to worsen, the Supreme Court has come up with strict orders, bearing a concern over dwindling air quality. The apex court directed schools to halt classes for 10th and 12th-grade students in Delhi-NCR owing to hazardous levels of air quality. The court directed the central government to initiate Work From Home policies with an intention to reduce the population crowding the roads.
The court questioned if any discussions had been held regarding WFH for government and private offices, with Delhi’s counsel stating that discussions were ongoing. The court emphasized the need for proactive measures, stating that every delay exacerbates the situation. As a precautionary measure against the harmful levels of air pollution, the court stressed that all educational institutions should switch to online classes. Consequently, all classes for students will now be held online for their safety.
The Supreme Court of India had further criticized Delhi's government and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for delaying the start of their curatorial control of pollution measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The Supreme Court ordered immediate imposition of restrictions under GRAP Phase 4 and demanded that teams be constituted to implement these restrictions. It also requested that complaints about breach of restrictions be dealt with effectively.
The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi had climbed up to the 'severe plus' category, which falls between 1300 and 1600 on the AQI. The entry of trucks was banned, and construction works were halted as visibility plummeted to next to zero due to the dense toxic smoke.
