Delhi schools suspend outdoor sports as pollution worsens
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New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday ordered schools to suspend all outdoor activities and sports after the city’s air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category, following a directive from the Supreme Court.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), acting on the court’s instructions, issued an advisory postponing all sports competitions across Delhi NCR. It warned that the current pollution levels posed significant health risks to children and extended the directive to universities, colleges and recognised sports associations.
On Friday, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 373, a level experts equate to smoking 10–11 cigarettes a day. The capital has oscillated between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories throughout the week.
The Supreme Court had expressed concern on Thursday, suggesting that sports events be shifted to safer months. The amicus curiae assisting the court described outdoor activities during November and December as akin to placing schoolchildren in a “gas chamber.”
The Delhi High Court also criticised the Delhi government earlier this week, saying it was “shirking its responsibility” by allowing sports activities despite hazardous conditions.
Medical experts have long warned that children are especially vulnerable to polluted air. Their developing lungs, faster breathing rates and smaller bodies make them more susceptible to absorbing harmful particles. Studies link prolonged exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 with reduced lung capacity, asthma, weakened immunity and impaired cognitive development.
For families in Delhi, the warnings have translated into lived reality: November brings a surge in paediatric consultations, inhaler use, persistent coughs and cancelled playtime. Doctors report hospital visits rising by 30–40 per cent during this period.
The government’s order, backed by the Supreme Court and CAQM, is aimed at shielding children from further exposure as the capital battles one of its worst pollution spells of the season.