GB Nagar: Parents demand closing of schools due to poor AQI
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GB Nagar: Parents demand closing of schools due to poor AQI

The AQI of Noida and Greater Noida is categorised as hazardous

GB Nagar: Parents demand closing of schools due to poor AQI

With the air quality in Gautam Buddha Nagar turning from bad to worse, the parents of school-going children are a worried lot. Now with the news coming in of schools and other educational institutes getting closed owing to high levels of air pollution in Delhi and other parts of NCR, the parents of Gautam Baddha Nagar are demanding the same.

It is natural for the parents to be concerned about the health of their children in this polluted environment. It was only a couple of months since the school in the area had opened for students post-Covid 19. But with pollution in the air, the parents are feeling a new threat regarding their kids. In reaction, some parents have started a campaign on Twitter demanding the closing of schools. This has come as the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Noida and Greater Noida is categorized in the range of very unhealthy to hazardous.

The demand got a further boost after news of Delhi NCR schools, colleges, and educational institutions getting closed on the orders of the Commission for Air Quality Management, till further notice.

Gautam Buddha Nagar Parents Welfare Society (GPWS) shared a tweet,  “दिल्ली, गुरुग्राम के स्कूल प्रदूषण के कारण बंद हैं, @dmgbnagar नोएडा  के बच्चे क्या अमृत‌ बूटी पिये हुये हैं? प्रदूषण की स्थिति को देखते  हुये तुरंत स्कूल बंद किये जाने चाहिए.”

According to aqicn.org, on Wednesday at 12:00 am, the AQI of Noida, Sector 62 was 456, which is categorized as hazardous. In Sector 1, 125, the situation was the same and the AQI of both areas was in the unhealthy category with numbers peaking to 165 and 163 respectively.

In Sector 116, the AQI was 999, which is also categorized as hazardous. In Knowledge Park III and Knowledge park V, the AQI is 181, 155 respectively, which is categorized as unhealthy.

President of Noida Parents Association says, “Schools should be closed. The respiratory systems of children are weak and if they go out, they will inhale polluted air which is dangerous for their health. Like Delhi schools, Noida Schools should also be closed.”

CitySpidey talked to Tulika Singh, a parent. Says she, “My son studies in the eighth standard. After the second wave of Covid, schools were open in phases and we thought that now the children could attend school safely. However, the situation due to the pollution has become critical now. The air quality is very poor. Even the senior citizens are facing issues such as eye itching, throat pain and even breathing problems.”

Another parent Rahul Garg says, “If the Delhi Government can take a call on schools during this pollution, why can the Gautam Budh Nagar administration not? It's a pure apathy on the part of authorities.”

The area has witnessed alarming levels of air pollution in the recent past. People are left gasping for breath. Routine matters such as commuting or going for walks have become a grave health hazard. The total effect is that the people are forced to stay indoors until it is absolutely essential to venture out. And there are no signs of things improving.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, air quality is likely to reach the higher end of the ‘very poor’ category Tuesday night and then slip to the lower end of the ‘severe’ category by Wednesday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Noida’s AQI was recorded at 397, a few notches below the ‘severe’ category, which begins at 400.