All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Noida and Greater Noida will remain closed on November 4 and 5 in the wake of spike in the pollution level, officials said on Sunday. The air quality in the twin-cities adjoining Delhi has worsened since Friday and Saturday, as per the official data.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said the decision has been taken as the levels of particulate matter 2.5 and 10 have been excessive in the air since Diwali, resulting in a major dip in the overall air quality.
“Transport vehicles like buses and minibuses, which a lot of schools use to ferry children, are a major contributor of PM 2.5 and PM 10. The movement of such vehicles in the city now could aggravate the situation,” District Magistrate B N Singh said in a written order.
“Hence, it is ordered that all schools up till Class 12 in Gautam Buddh Nagar will remain closed on November 4 and 5,” he said.
At 10.35 a.m. on Sunday, the air quality index (AQI) of Noida was 487, while that of Greater Noida was 470, both in the “severe” category, which means it affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.
On the other hand, Delhi was enveloped in a thick layer of smog on Sunday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 18.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season’s average. The city received 0.3 mm rain in the past 24 hours which slightly lowered the hazardous level of air pollutants in the air. Relative humidity was 85 per cent at 8.30 a.m., said a Met. department official.
The day is forecast to remain generally cloudy with light rain or drizzle expected later on. The maximum temperature will be around 28 degrees Celsius, he said. The air seed was around three knots at 8.30 a.m., the official said, adding the visibility was poor due to the smog. Some respite is expected from the heavy pollution, with strong surface winds forecast in daytime on Monday and Tuesday.
