Central Panel Acts on Supreme Court Concern to Protect Students; Calls Outdoor Competitions a ‘Gas Chamber’ Risk
NEW DELHI:The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) has directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to postpone physical sports competitions scheduled for the months of November and December. This urgent measure is intended to safeguard the health of students from the severely high levels of air pollution that typically envelop the region during winter.
The directive comes following a consultative meeting convened yesterday, which examined current air quality trends and deliberated on crucial steps to protect children, a population highly vulnerable to respiratory damage from toxic air.
The CAQM’s move is in compliance with observations made by the Supreme Court of India, which recently took a stern view on the issue. The apex court had requested the CAQM to consider directing the postponement of these activities, noting that forcing children to participate in outdoor sports during peak pollution months was akin to putting them in a “gas chamber.”
Representatives from the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Delhi government, NCR State Governments, and Pollution Control Boards attended the meeting where the decision was finalized.
The Commission has emphasized that state governments must ensure that students affected by the postponement of competitions do not face any academic or competitive disadvantage.
The CAQM has urged the Delhi and NCR State Governments to Explore ways to reschedule the physical sports events at a later time when air quality improves and Offer alternative opportunities for students to engage in similar activities, ensuring their health and academic progress are not compromised.
With air quality frequently swinging into the ‘Very Poor’ and ‘Severe’ categories (AQI over 300 to 400+) during the winter, experts and doctors have continuously warned against strenuous outdoor physical activity, which increases breathing rate and allows deeper penetration of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) into the lungs.