The Delhi government has directed all schools to immediately suspend outdoor activities and sports as pollution levels across the national capital slipped into the ‘severe’ category. The decision follows a Supreme Court observation urging the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to explore issuing similar directions for schools, particularly for sports events planned through November and December.
CAQM Issues Advisory Amid Rising Health Concerns
In a fresh advisory, the CAQM, the statutory body overseeing air pollution in Delhi-NCR, instructed that all sports competitions be postponed owing to the hazardous air quality. The commission warned that the current pollution levels pose significant health risks, especially for children.
The advisory isn’t limited to schools; it also applies to universities, colleges, and recognised sports associations across Delhi-NCR.
Air Quality Dips to Hazardous Levels
This week, pollution levels in the city have been consistently swinging between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories. On Friday, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 373 — a concentration likened to inhaling the equivalent of 10 to 11 cigarettes a day.
The government’s decision comes shortly after the Supreme Court voiced concern over the deteriorating conditions, suggesting that sports events could be shifted to safer months. The court then asked the CAQM to issue appropriate directions.
Adding to the urgency, the amicus curiae assisting the court remarked that allowing outdoor activities in November and December is akin to “putting the school-going children in a gas chamber”.
Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court also took note of the issue, observing that the government appeared to be “shirking its responsibility” by permitting sports activities during this period of high pollution.
Why the Court’s Intervention Matters Now
For years, doctors have cautioned that children are disproportionately vulnerable to polluted air. Their lungs are still developing, they breathe more rapidly, spend longer outdoors, and their smaller bodies absorb more pollutants with each breath.
Research shows that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 not only reduces lung capacity but can also permanently impair respiratory development, trigger asthma, weaken immunity, and even affect cognitive performance.
For many families in the capital, these warnings have become part of an unwelcome annual routine, a season marked by inhalers, lingering coughs, restricted playtime, and an uptick in paediatric consultations. Paediatric pulmonologists say hospital visits typically rise by 30–40% every November.