Delhi govt to install air purifiers in 10K classrooms

Delhi will install air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms to improve indoor air quality in government schools, with plans to expand citywide.

New Delhi

Delhi has around 38,000 classrooms across government and government-aided schools. (Representative photo)

The Delhi government will install air purifiers in 10,000 classrooms in the first phase of a citywide initiative aimed at improving indoor air quality in government schools, education minister Ashish Sood said on Friday. The project will be expanded in phases to cover all classrooms, he said.

Addressing a press conference, Sood said the move was part of the government’s broader strategy to address air pollution through long-term administrative and policy measures rather than short-term interventions.

“We want our children to study smart and breathe smarter. In the first phase, air purifiers will be installed in 10,000 classrooms. Tenders have been floated today,” the minister said.

According to official data, Delhi has around 38,000 classrooms across government and government-aided schools. Sood said air purifiers would be installed in all classrooms in a phased manner. The Capital has 1,047 government and government-aided schools.

Highlighting steps taken by the current administration, the minister said a construction and demolition (C&D) waste policy mandating the use of recycled material came into force on October 11, 2025, with payments linked to compliance. He added that remediation of the Bhalswa landfill has been targeted for completion by September 2026, with a tender issued for disposal of 18 lakh metric tonnes of waste.

“Biogas plants have been commissioned at Nangli Sakrawati and Ghoga dairies, mechanical sweeping machines will be deployed in each assembly constituency, and ₹175 crore has been released to municipal bodies, with an additional ₹500 crore under process. A pending ₹45 crore EV subsidy amount has been cleared and bottlenecks in Metro Phase-IV and RRTS projects are being addressed,” Sood said.

He added that financial assistance was also being provided to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for procuring mechanical sweeping machines.

The minister also pointed to regional factors affecting Delhi’s air quality, noting that the capital’s pollution levels are influenced by weather conditions and emissions in neighbouring states. “Delhi is surrounded by states, and the weather conditions there determine the weather here,” he said.