Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad Schools Close for Chhath Puja and Pollution Concerns

The air quality in Delhi NCR has clearly taken a very sharp hit this season, well beyond safety levels, especially after the Diwali celebrations. Along with the hazardous pollution levels, schools across the Delhi NCR region, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad, are closed for the upcoming Chhath Puja holiday and environmental concerns. Here is what you need to know about the current school closures, pollution measures, and holiday updates in the region.

Delhi NCR Schools and Pollution: An Annual Concern
As pollution levels increase and touch AQI levels of 400 in a number of places, authorities have taken the necessary steps to mitigate health hazards posed to students. For most parents and the school administrations, the high AQI is reason enough for concern since the air quality in cities like Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram keeps touching perilous levels post-Diwali. Many parents and health experts fear the ill effects this polluted environment may bring for children.

Schools in Delhi NCR had to alter their timetables to curtail more indoor activities to ensure that students were subjected to less polluted outdoor air exposure. Some schools halted morning assemblies and outdoor physical activities in a move to reduce student exposure to health risks. Classes have been given a green flag in most areas, but schools have highly encouraged students to wear protective masks and limit their exposure to unnecessarily polluted air.

Effects of Pollution on School Activities
Some of the measures which are undertaken in most of the schools of Delhi NCR are to reduce the health effect of pollution on students, like:

• Cancellation of Morning Assemblies: Schools have banned morning assembling in schools so that children do not get exposed to polluted air for long hours in open places.
• Suspension of Outdoor Sports and Physical Education: Most schools have suspended outdoor sports and physical education classes to minimize the risk posed to the respiratory system.
• Mask Recommendations: The schools are recommending that children wear masks at school to increase protection against pollution.
• Parental Guidelines on Indoor Activities: The parents encourage children not to engage in outdoor activities after school so as to reduce contact with polluted air as much as possible.
• These activities mark a swelling crisis over air quality in Delhi NCR, which is at its worst during this season in any case, particularly after Diwali festivals. The critical factor is that it was the first time last year that air pollution had forced the closure of schools and compelled an all-regional temporary halt to educational institutions. It reminds everyone about the measures needed to safeguard public health at the time of environmental threat peaking to high levels.

Chhath Puja Holiday and School Closures
Beyond the smog crisis, the Delhi NCR region will also enjoy a public holiday on November 7, as Chief Minister Atishi declared Chhath Puja as the day for this cultural importance to be allowed among students and their family for spending a day honoring the occasion without school.

Though it's more imperative this year due to environmental concerns, it still is a good opportunity in keeping young children indoors during the Puja holidays which arise to high levels of AQI.

Chhath Puja is one such festival where people look to stay indoors; and, by nature, naturally lowers exposure to AQI levels.

Online Classes for a Time Period
Due to alarming pollution levels these days, Delhi NCR schools have sometimes decided to go for online classes to avoid health risks. Despite resumption of traditional classes in schools this week, school authorities are on full alert and might go for a temporary shift to virtual classrooms if pollution levels continue to worsen. This way, students can continue their study without risking health.

Previous pollution crises saw schools seamlessly transition to online learning platforms ensuring that the students were able to follow classes without much delay. This year, so far, returning to an online education system was not declared, but schools stand ready to return to this course of action if based on the AQI value, the level will continue to hover around the "hazardous" class.

Health Advisory for Parents and Students
Delhi NCR health experts warn parents to take preventive measures against the adverse impacts of pollution on children. Schools and health authorities advise the following measures:

• Encourage Mask-Wearing: Equipping your child with good quality masks can be a great barrier against pollutants.
• Limit Outdoor Play: Parents should cut down their children's outdoor play. This should be strictly minimized in the areas where AQI has crossed extreme levels.
• Use air purifiers indoors. An air purifier may help minimize indoor pollution to as small as possible.
• Stay hydrated. Hydration will help keep the respiratory system clean and might wash out toxins possibly accumulated in the body through polluted air.