Delhi Govt Orders Immediate Closure of Schools for Summer Vacation Amid Heatwave

On Monday, the Delhi government ordered private and government-aided schools that have not yet closed for summer vacations despite the ongoing heatwave to do so immediately, according to a report by PTI.

In a circular, the Directorate of Education mandated that all schools observe summer vacation from May 11 to June 30 for this academic year. Despite this directive, it was noted that some schools remained open.

“…all the government schools are closed with effect from 11.05.24. However, it has been observed that some of the government-aided and unaided recognized private schools are still open during the ongoing severe heatwave. Therefore, all the heads of government-aided and unaided recognized private schools of Delhi are advised to close the schools for summer vacation with immediate effect,” stated the circular.

Delhi and the neighboring NCR have been experiencing a severe heatwave in recent days, with Najafgarh in southwest Delhi reaching a scorching 47.8 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the country so far this season. On Sunday, the city’s average temperature was recorded at 44.4 degrees Celsius, up from 43.6 degrees on Saturday and 42.5 degrees on Friday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heatwave conditions in many parts of Delhi and severe heatwave conditions in other areas, issuing a red alert for the next five days. A red warning signifies that local agencies must take action to prevent extreme heat-related emergencies.

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“A gradual rise by about 2-3°C in maximum temperatures is very likely over many parts of northwest and central India in the next five days,” the IMD predicted.

Naresh Kumar, a senior scientist at IMD, stated that the current heatwave is expected to continue for the next week. “Generally, May is considered the hottest month. If there is no rainfall activity in North India, then the temperature normally crosses 45 degrees Celsius,” Kumar told ANI.

He added, “This situation will persist for the next week. The heatwave will continue for the next five days in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. We have issued a red alert. A heatwave situation will exist in Uttar Pradesh for the next 3-4 days. Heatwaves will also prevail in North Madhya Pradesh, and we have issued an orange alert for that region.”