Heatwave: Punjab Govt declares summer vacation in all schools from May 14

Chandigarh: The Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has announced summer vacation in all schools from May 14 in view of the intense heatwave scorching the state.

Also read | Why the long summer vacation in West Bengal schools, asks Subhas Sarkar

In a tweet in Punjabi, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that considering the sudden intense heatwave and suggestions of thousands of parents and teachers, it has been decided to declare summer vacation in all schools of Punjab from May 14.

ਅਚਾਨਕ ਵਧੀ ਗਰਮੀ ਅਤੇ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਅਧਿਆਪਕਾ ਦੇ ਸੁਝਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਧਿਆਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਸਕੂਲਾਂ ਚ ਗਰਮੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਛੁੱਟੀਆਂ 14 ਮਈ ਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਫੈਸਲਾ …ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਸਹਿਤ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਜਲਦੀ …

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) April 29, 2022

On Friday, Bhatinda recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius and Patiala a high of 43.4 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in Amritsar was 42.3 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 43.2 degrees Celsius and Jalandhar 42.7 degrees Celsius, the PTI reported.

For the past several days, maximum temperatures have been hovering a few notches above the normal limits in Punjab and some of its neighbouring states, including Haryana, it said.

Meanwhile, Odisha, West Bengal have already shut schools and announced vacations. Several states have also decided to curtail summer vacation to compensate for the learning loss during the Covid-19 pandemic.