The situation of air pollution in Haryana has become serious, especially in the month of November. In many cities of the state, the air quality index has crossed 400, which is considered extremely harmful for health. For example, Jind’s AQI has reached 500, which means that a person breathing here is inhaling smoke equivalent to smoking 20 to 25 cigarettes a day.
In view of this increasing pollution, the Haryana government has decided to temporarily close all the schools up to class 5th. This decision has been taken by the Directorate of Education directing the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts. The aim of this step is to protect children from pollution and ensure their health safety. Let us know what is the whole situation…
Dense fog is present in 12 districts of Haryana. Visibility is less than 50 meters in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar areas of Rajasthan in western Haryana. Whereas in Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Rewari, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Jind and Charkhi Dadri, visibility is 50 to 100 meters. The Meteorological Department has issued orange and yellow alert of fog in Haryana till 16 November. The maximum AQI has crossed 400 in 11 cities of the state.
Implementation of the GRAP system
Graded Response System (GRAP) has been implemented in Haryana, in which various restrictions are imposed depending on the AQI level. When AQI goes above 200, the first phase of GRAP comes into force. If it crosses 300, the second phase is implemented. Whereas, when AQI crosses 400, Gap-3 is applicable. At present, Grap-3 has been implemented in Haryana, under which many activities have been banned.
Adverse effects on health
The impact of pollution on children and other sensitive groups can be severe. The condition of haze and smog has affected the urban areas more, due to which the daily activities of the people have also been affected. Therefore, the decision to close schools was taken to give priority to the safety and health of children.
Also read- Five tests and 9 hours of examination in a single day, this is the most difficult exam in the world
These are the possibilities
The Meteorological Department has predicted that the weather in Haryana will remain changeable but dry for the next few days. However, the situation of smog and pollution still remains worrying. Thus, the Haryana government took the important decision of closing the schools keeping in mind the health of the children, so that they can remain safe from this hazardous air quality.
