Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said that all the schools in the Capital will remain closed till Sunday because of poor quality of air.

“The air quality in Delhi is deteriorating,” said Sisodia. “We cannot compromise on children’s health in such situation. I have asked all schools to remain closed till Sunday,” the minister tweeted.

On Tuesday, Sisodia had ordered all primary schools in the Capital to remain closed for a day after pollution rose to an alarming level, and the Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he had written to his counterparts in Punjab and Haryana over the issue of crop burning, which has caused smog to envelop whole of north India.

At noon, the air quality in Punjabi Bagh area in West Delhi and DTU in the northwestern part of the city read 999 on the Air Quality Index.

An Air Quality Index reading up to 50 is considered ‘good’, and up to 100 is considered ‘satisfactory’. A reading between 401-500 is ranked ‘severe’ on the index, which means the air you breathe is dangerously filled with pollutants.

The reading at several areas in Delhi on Wednesday far surpass the categories on the Air Quality Index chart.