He highlighted that this initiative is focused on providing students with a smart learning environment with “smart air” to breathe.

Delhi Schools to Get 10,000 Air Purifiers: Education Minister Rolls Out Clean Air Initiative

On Friday, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced that air purifiers will be installed in 10,000 classrooms in government schools to protect students from hazardous air quality. It is part of a phased initiative to ensure cleaner indoor air for students. The announcement came during a press briefing in the national capital.

Sood addressed the media and explained that the first phase of the programme will cover 10,000 classrooms out of nearly 38,000 across government and aided schools, with tenders for the installation already floated. He highlighted that this initiative is focused on providing students with a smart learning environment with “smart air” to breathe.

Sood, who also holds the urban development portfolio, stressed that the government is focusing on long-term administrative reforms and policy measures to tackle the pollution crisis instead of short-lived schemes. He contrasted the current approach with past pollution mitigation efforts, including the much-debated odd-even vehicle restriction scheme initiated by the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The minister said that previous initiatives were less effective and more geared toward publicity than substantive impact.

Sood said the Public Works Department (PWD) will utilise funds from the environment cess to procure mechanical road sweepers for each assembly constituency. The machines are intended to assist municipal bodies like the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) in combating roadside dust and particulate pollution.

While highlighting the issues posed by regional weather patterns, Sood said that a significant amount of Delhi’s air pollution originates beyond the city’s borders, limiting the capacity for local control. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling air quality issues through sustained administrative action that will yield results over time.

This comprehensive first phase targeting 10,000 classrooms is a significant move in Delhi’s broader strategy to safeguard children’s health and improve air quality around educational spaces.

Source: Hindustan Times.