Delhi schools ordered water bell every hour amid heatwave alert to prevent dehydration

Amid rising temperatures, schools in Delhi have been directed to ring a bell every 45-60 minutes to remind students to drink water and pair them up in a "buddy system" to monitor each other's health. These are part of fresh precautionary measures issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on Tuesday for Delhi government schools, aided schools and private unaided recognised schools. This comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of likely heatwave and adverse weather conditions in the national capital in the coming days.

Under the "water bell" system, schools have been asked to ring a bell every 45 to 60 minutes to remind students to drink water and prevent dehydration, the DoE circular said. It said outdoor assemblies should either be curtailed or shifted to shaded or indoor areas with minimum duration, while no open-air classes should be conducted. Students must carry adequate drinking water, and schools have been asked to ensure the availability of safe and cool drinking water at multiple accessible points, it read.

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Schools have also been told to avoid outdoor physical activities and conduct short awareness sessions during class hours and assemblies to educate students about hydration, heat-related illnesses and preventive measures, the department said. Schools have also been directed to create a "buddy system", under which, each student will be paired with another during school hours to monitor each other's physical well-being.

It informed that class teachers have been asked to regularly share IMD advisories and heatwave forecasts with parents through class-specific and ensure students are informed through prayer assemblies and notice boards. Parents have been advised to send children to school in light, breathable cotton clothes and reinforce the importance of personal hygiene, including daily bathing, it said.

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The DoE said each school will designate a nodal teacher to monitor the implementation of the "water bell" initiative, awareness sessions and display of IEC material on heatwave precautions. The circular also asked schools to prominently display heatwave precaution material in classrooms, corridors and notice boards and ensure immediate first aid and medical attention wherever required. An action taken report (ATR) has to be submitted by each school to the respective zonal deputy directors of education by May 2, the DoE added.