New Delhi, Oct 31 The Delhi Directorate of Education has directed all government and private schools in the national capital to implement a winter action plan to mitigate air pollution, including sprinkling water to control dust, promoting public transport and conducting anti-firecracker awareness campaigns.
In a circular issued on October 29, the Directorate asked heads of all government, government-aided and private unaided recognised schools to take necessary measures under the Winter Action Plan 2026-27 and ensure its effective implementation.
The schools have also been asked to promote recycling and reuse, switch off lights when not in use, avoid dust-generating construction activities and increase green patches within school premises.
The circular further directed schools to install proper and efficient ventilation systems to ensure that the air inside classrooms remains clean.
They have also been asked to implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for air pollution control.
As part of the proposed activities, schools will organise anti-firecracker campaigns between October and November, including lectures, classroom discussions, awareness drives and slogan-writing competitions to encourage students to avoid bursting firecrackers.
An awareness campaign on air pollution will be held in November, featuring poster-making and essay-writing competitions, quizzes and lectures on the role of students in protecting the environment, it said.
Schools have also been asked to prevent the open burning of biomass and municipal solid waste by providing electric heaters to staff engaged in sanitation, security and horticulture services during winter.
Other activities include promoting public transport, conducting awareness campaigns on dust and noise pollution, and organising programmes on clean and green school environments.
The schedule for these activities ranges from October 2026 to February 2027. The Directorate has also called for public awareness and citizen participation in air pollution mitigation at individual and community levels through parent-teacher meetings and School Management Committee meetings.
The heads of schools have been directed to submit monthly progress reports through a designated Google Sheet by the last day of every month to ensure monitoring of the action plan.
(PTI News)
