Schools in Ghaziabad, Noida, Gr Noida shut till Nov 5 due to pollution

All government and private schools up till Class 12 in Ghaziabad, 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 administrations of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad 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 added.

A similar order was passed by Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey, noting that the pollution was impacting the health of children.

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.

At 1.35 p.m., the AQI in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram was recorded at 492 and in Raj Nagar at 480, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

A Supreme Court-mandated panel had on Friday declared public health emergency in Delhi-NCR and banned all construction works, bursting of firecrackers, among others, in the region to tackle the critical situation.