The Delhi Directorate of Education has directed all government, aided and private schools to implement the Winter Action Plan 2026-27, requiring measures such as dust control, a ban on open waste burning, pollution-awareness campaigns and monthly reporting of activities.
The instructions were issued after a meeting organised by the Environment Department on October 6 to review implementation of the winter action plan for preventing air pollution in the capital. School principals have been asked to take the required steps and submit reports through a Google Sheet by the last day of every month.
Under the plan, schools must spray water in open areas of their campuses to reduce dust. They have also been told to prevent dust from construction activity, increase green areas within school premises and encourage students and staff to use public transport. Schools are required to promote recycling and the reuse of old materials, switch off lights when they are not needed and improve ventilation systems for cleaner indoor air.
The directive also addresses the risk of open burning during winter. Schools have been asked to provide electric heaters to workers engaged in cleaning, security and gardening so that waste and biomass are not burned in the open. They must also follow measures under the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, and conduct awareness campaigns against firecrackers.
A firecracker-awareness campaign will be held in November through talks during morning assemblies, classroom discussions and slogan-writing competitions. Schools will also organise posters, quizzes and essay competitions on air pollution, environmental protection and the role of students. Activities during the month will additionally promote public transport and climate-friendly behaviour.
The schedule continues in December, when schools will conduct water-spraying activities and poster competitions to raise awareness about dust control. In January 2027, students will take part in painting, poster-making and role-play competitions focused on noise pollution. February will feature activities, including role-play, on creating clean and green school environments.
The Directorate has also instructed schools to discuss measures for reducing air pollution during parent-teacher meetings and School Management Committee meetings held between October 2026 and January 2027. This places the winter plan within the routine administrative and community structures of schools, rather than limiting it to student-facing awareness activities.
The measures assign schools responsibilities that extend beyond classroom education, including campus dust management, waste-burning prevention, energy use, ventilation and transport behaviour. The monthly reporting requirement will allow the Directorate to track the activities being carried out by schools during the winter period. The plan’s scheduled activities will run through February 2027.
