NEW DELHI, Dec. 19 (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 ensuring 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. ■