Residential buildings under construction are seen shrouded in heavy smog and air pollution in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, on Friday, December 19, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
NEW DELHI (Xinhua): The Delhi government has decided to install 10,000 air purifiers in government-run schools to protect children from air pollution, announced Delhi's Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday.
He said the installation of air purifiers would be carried out in a phased manner, beginning with 10,000 classrooms.
"The aim is to ensure a healthier learning environment for students," Sood said, adding that the government was focusing on sustained administrative action rather than short-term campaigns to tackle pollution.
Delhi witnessed extremely high air-pollution levels over the past few days, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) once touched the 700-mark. On Friday, some areas in the city reported an AQI of 400.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI is classified as follows: 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 is "satisfactory", 101-200 is "moderate", 201-300 is "poor", 301-400 is "very poor", 401-500 is "severe", and beyond 500 is "severe plus emergency”. -- Xinhua
