New Delhi, November 1: As Delhi air quality deteriorated to “very severe”, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government declared holidays in schools and colleges till Tuesday, November 5. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet said that all schools and colleges will remain closed till November 5 as pollution level increased due to burning of stubble in the neighbouring states. The AAP government's decision to shut down schools and colleges is part of a public health emergency.

Earlier in the day, the health emergency was declared in Delhi NCR region. The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) banned the construction work till November 5. The ban has also been imposed on the bursting of crackers for the rest of the winter season.

Arvind Kejriwal's Tweet:

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) India, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 412 in the national capital in the morning. It falls in the "very severe" category. The contribution of stubble burning to the haze and air pollution in Delhi-NCR was 35 percent on Wednesday. However, on Thursday, it was estimated to be 24 percent. A blanket of smog continues to engulf the national capital even on Friday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2019 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).