Parents seek urgent shift to online mode of teaching as pollution rises in Delhi

New Delhi | The parents’ associations in Delhi have urged the government to shift schools to online mode of teaching, as the air quality in the national capital deteriorates.

A thick layer of haze covered the city on Monday, with the air quality remaining in the "very poor" category. It is likely to become “severe” on Tuesday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

Aprajita Gautam, president of the Delhi Parents' Association, said the shift to online classes has become urgent as several children are falling ill with cough, nasal congestion and headaches.

"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.

Delhi recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 309 at 4 pm, with PM2.5 levels at 155 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 at 278, the CPCB said.

Mahesh Mishra, another parent and member of the association, called for an immediate transition to online classes across Delhi-NCR schools until the AQI returns to "moderate" levels for a sustained period.

He also sought suspension of outdoor activities such as sports, assemblies and excursions and urged the Directorate of Education to issue daily AQI-based advisories to schools and parents.

"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," Mishra said, appealing for urgent government action.

BS Vohra, president of the East Delhi RWAs Federation, questioned why no clear classification exists for AQI levels beyond 500 and criticised the lack of an emergency health response.

"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.

The CPCB's Sameer app showed that Burari was in the "severe" category with a reading of 400 which was followed by Wazirpur at 390 along with 23 monitoring stations recording 'very poor' air quality with readings above 300.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.