As the air quality in the national capital continued to deteriorate, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday decided to suspend physical classes and hold classes online till November 22, citing severe pollution and dangerous AQI levels in Delhi and NCR. In Haryana, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram has announced that as per the directives of the Director of Secondary Education, Haryana and after assessing the air quality index (AQI) situation, all physical classes up to 12th standard in Gurugram district will remain. suspended between November 19 and November 23, 2024 or until further notice.

The development comes as air quality has deteriorated in several cities, including Mumbai, Delhi and parts of northern India, reaching severe levels and raising concerns about health risks.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhi and the NCR states to strictly implement the GRAP Stage IV anti-pollution measures as the AQI remains in the ‘severe’ category.

A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih also directed the Delhi-NCR states to immediately form teams to monitor compliance with the actions required under the plan.

The court further ordered the continuation of GRAP Stage IV measures even if the AQI falls below 450 and directed all NCR states and the central government to submit declarations of compliance.

This decision followed a sharp rise in Delhi’s daily average IQA to 441 by 4pm on Sunday, rising further to 457 by 7pm, prompting an emergency meeting of the GRAP Sub-Committee.

GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) is a set of measures against air pollution implemented in the national capital and surrounding areas according to the severity of the situation. Restrictions in stages III and IV of the GRAP are applied when air quality becomes severe.

(With inputs from ANI)