New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has advised governments in Delhi and the surrounding states to postpone all physical sports competitions planned for November and December, citing the health risks posed by rising air pollution during the winter months. The direction follows a consultative meeting held on 19 November 2025, where officials reviewed current air quality trends and discussed measures to protect children from exposure.

The meeting included representatives from the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, officials from Delhi and NCR state governments, the Sports Authority of India and members of state pollution control boards from the region. The discussions were held in line with observations made by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the need to safeguard children’s health during periods of poor air quality.

Following the meeting, the CAQM wrote to the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, asking them to “take immediate and appropriate action to ensure that physical sport competitions scheduled in the months of November and December may be postponed keeping in view the air quality trends prevailing in the area where such events are scheduled to be organized”.
The Commission also stressed that students affected by the postponement should not face any disadvantage. It has asked NCR state governments and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to explore ways to reschedule the events or provide alternative opportunities for students to participate at a later time, ensuring their health and academic progress are not compromised.

BI Bureau