Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday authorised collectors of all districts of Odisha to take a call on re-opening of schools after the summer vacation, based on the weather forecast.
According to the order, the collectors will declare holiday or change the class timings for Class I to XII students of public, private and aided schools, depending on the weather condition in their respective districts. This directive will remain in force till April 20, a School and Mass Education department notification said.
The schools in the state were slated to open on June 18 after closing for early summer vacation on April 25 amid prolonged heatwave conditions.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast hot and humid weather in coastal districts of the state till June 19. Though the southwest monsoon arrived in Odisha on June, its progress has been slow since then, leading to heatwave in interior districts and sultry conditions in the coastal belt.
Earlier, Odisha State Secondary Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) had urged the government to extend summer holidays by 3-4 days, considering that some schools have asbestos roof and are without proper water and electricity supply. “Most districts are recording 38-40 degree Celsius. To protect the students from being struck by heat, we have requested the minister to extend the summer break by a few days,” said OSSTA general secretary Ranjan Kumar Dash.