Haryana Govt Extends Primary School Vacation Till January 27 Due to Cold Wave

The ongoing cold wave, which is sweeping Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, is refusing to subside. Every day people are grappling with dropping temperatures. In light of the intense cold wave, the Haryana state government has declared the extension of winter vacation for students from classes 1 to 5. Now the schools will remain closed until January 27, 2024.

On Tuesday, the Haryana government’s Directorate of School Education released a notice announcing the holiday extension. The notice read, “The Department has decided to close the schools for students of classes 1st to 5th till 27.01.2024 (Government, Private, and Govt. recognised) due to the ongoing intense cold wave.”

The notice mentions that even though students of classes 1 to 5 will not be attending the school all the “teaching and non-teaching staff shall attend the school as usual.” Schools were reopened in Haryana on January 23, 2023, after the gap of 22 days of winter vacation.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather update, on Tuesday, Haryana’s Karnal district was the coldest place in Haryana with a minimum temperature of 2.8 degrees Celsius. Similarly, Fatehabad recorded a temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius while Ambala’s temperature stood at 4.6 degrees.

Other than the Haryana government, the Chandigarh administration has also announced an additional week of winter vacation for students up to class 5. For higher classes, the administration has recommended online classes. According to the official order, “For Classes VI and above, given the weather conditions and the prediction for the week starting January 22, 2024, the Schools may, for dates January 23, 24 and 25,2024, consider conducting online classes, as opposed to physical mode.” The notice also added that the schools should not open before 9.30 am and must close before 4 pm.

As of Tuesday, Chandigarh, the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 6 degrees Celsius. Many flights departing from Chandigarh to Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad were canceled on Tuesday morning due to poor visibility and fog.

IMD has issued a red warning over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh today from Tuesday to Friday. A red warning is given when the minimum temperature is below 10°C and the maximum temperature drops below 4.5°Celsius to 6.4°Celsius.