Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that all state-run, private aided and recognised schools in the state would be closed for three days from Thursday.
The schools will remain shut from November 9 to 11, state education minister Aruna Chaudhary.
She further clarified that this order would also be applicable to all primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools in the state.
Several people have lost lives in the past few days in the state because of the road accidents at different places because of smog.
Nine people, including eight students, waiting by the side of a road to catch a bus after their vehicle met with an accident, were mowed down by a speeding truck near on Bathinda-Chandigarh road on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Delhiites breathed poison on Thursday with pollutants touching calamitous levels, as a thick grey smog hung low across the region.
Authorities in the city scrambled to tackle the "emergency" situation as hospitals recorded a surge in the number of patients complaining of respiratory problems.
The smog, which triggered near zero visibility at many places and pile-ups on highways, is a mixture of carbon monoxide, particulate matter such as PM2.5, PM10, ground level ozone and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, the Delhi government said in a health advsiory.
The Delhi government announced that all schools in the national capital would remain closed till Sunday in view of the "unbearable" air pollution.
The day-long average air quality index of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had a score of 478 on a scale of 500, indicating 'severe' levels of pollution, while many individual stations recorded AQI as high as 487.
If the score touches 500 and persists there for at least 48 hours, measures like odd-even and a ban on construction and demolition activities will come into force across the Delhi- NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
(With PTI inputs)
