PRIMARY CLASSES IN DELHI TO REOPEN FROM 9th NOVEMBER; WORK-FROM-HOME ORDER FOR EMPLOYEES ployees TO BE REVOKED

The Delhi government agreed on Monday to resume primary classes starting on November 9 and to revoke the directive asking 50% of its staff to work from home in light of the city's air quality improving.

Gopal Rai, the environment minister of Delhi, claimed during a news conference that both farm fires and air pollution in the city have rapidly reduced.

"Therefore, it has been decided to lift the curbs imposed under stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan in compliance with the direction from the Commission for Air Quality Management," he said.

"Primary schools will reopen from November 9 and the order asking 50 per cent of the government staff to work from home is being revoked," the minister said.

The Centre's air quality panel Sunday instructed authorities to relax the restriction on the plying of non-BS VI diesel light motor vehicles in the region and the entry of trucks into the capital as the air pollution in Delhi-NCR had improved over the previous two days.

The CAQM order that recommended the restrictions was released on Thursday.

The Delhi government had previously announced additional measures on Friday, including the shutdown of primary schools beginning on Saturday and the option for 50% of its employees to work from home.

The favourable wind speed and a decrease in the contribution from stubble burning were the main factors behind Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index's improvement from 447 on Friday to 381 on Saturday and then to 339 on Sunday.