As Delhi’s air quality continues to decline, parents’ associations have called on the government to urgently shift all schools to online classes. Concerned over the health of children, many parents say the toxic air is making students sick and unfit to attend school physically.
On Monday, a dense haze blanketed the city, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorising the air quality as “very poor.” Experts have warned that it could reach the “severe” level by Tuesday. According to CPCB data, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 309 at 4 pm, with PM2.5 concentration at 155 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 at 278.
Parents sound alarm over children’s health
Aprajita Gautam, president of the Delhi Parents’ Association, said the situation has become unbearable for many children.
"I am suffering from a cough due to pollution and have received several messages from parents saying their children are also unwell.It has become important to shift the classes to online mode of teaching as many students do not even want to wear masks," she said.
Echoing the demand, Mahesh Mishra, another parent and member of the association, urged the Delhi-NCR schools to suspend physical classes until the air quality improves and remains at “moderate” levels for some time. He also called for a temporary halt to outdoor school activities such as assemblies, sports and excursions. Mishra appealed to the Directorate of Education to issue daily AQI-based health advisories for schools and families.
"Each day of exposure is a serious health risk for children whose lungs are still developing. The right to breathe clean air must come before physical attendance,” he said.
RWAs criticise authorities for inaction
Meanwhile, BS Vohra, president of the East Delhi RWAs Federation, criticised the authorities for their lack of preparedness. He questioned why there is no proper classification beyond an AQI of 500 and why no emergency health measures have been put in place.
"At what level does a medical emergency begin in Delhi? Even masks have not been mandated yet, and there are no directions to private hospitals to provide free basic treatment for pollution-affected patients," he said.
CPCB data paints a grim picture
According to the CPCB’s Sameer app, several areas recorded alarming readings. Burari registered an AQI of 400, placing it in the “severe” category, while Wazirpur followed closely at 390. Twenty-three monitoring stations across the city reported “very poor” air quality with readings above 300.
As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0–50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.
