New Delhi: Due to the rising levels of air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi administration has decided to prolong the closure of schools for students up to class 5 until November 10.

Schools for classes 6 to 12 are not mandated to shut down, but they do have the choice to conduct classes online if they prefer.

Originally, the Delhi government had stated that schools for students up to class 5 would be shut until November 5, but the worsening air quality in the city has necessitated an extension.

"As pollution levels continue to remain high, primary schools in Delhi will stay closed till 10th November. For Grade 6-12, schools are being given the option of shifting to online classes," Delhi Education Minister Atishi said in a statement.

For the sixth consecutive day, Delhi's air quality remained severely polluted on Sunday morning, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 460.

Microscopic PM2.5 particles, which have the potential to deeply penetrate the lungs and cause health issues, have surged to levels seven to eight times higher than the government's recommended safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter in various locations across Delhi-NCR in recent days.

This exceeds the World Health Organization's safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter by 80 to 100 times.

As per the government's initiative to address pollution in Delhi-NCR, it is obligatory to enforce immediate air pollution control measures, which include prohibiting polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all construction activities, when the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpasses 450.

The air quality in Delhi-NCR has deteriorated significantly in the past week, attributed to dropping temperatures, stagnant winds that hindered the dispersion of pollutants, and an increase in post-harvest paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi's AQI skyrocketed by more than 200 points between October 27 and November 3, plummeting into the "severe plus" category (above 450) on Friday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. A slight improvement was seen from 468 at 4 pm on Friday to 413 at 6 am on Saturday, but the 24-hour average AQI of 468 on Friday was the worst since November 12, 2021.

Delhi's air quality is one of the worst among capital cities globally, with a University of Chicago report finding that air pollution reduces life expectancy by almost 12 years.