In light of the persisting heatwave conditions, the West Bengal government on Monday extended the summer vacations in state-run and state-aided schools for another 10 days till June 26. Principal Secretary (Education) Manish Jain said in a notification that the decision was taken keeping in mind the safety of the students, news agency PTI reported.
"With regard to declaring summer vacation in the schools due to extreme heatwave conditions, as reports of a few death cases due to heat and humidity have been received, the competent authority has decided to extend the summer vacation...." the government release said.
As per a report by news agency PTI, the notice was issued to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
Owing to the heatwave conditions, the summer vacations had already been extended from mid-April.
According to PTI, the notice comes a day after the death of three elderly pilgrims during a religious function at Panihati due to heat.
Despite the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon in the Southern part of the country, there is no respite from the heatwaves in the Northern part as yet.
According to the predictions by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), widespread thundershowers are very likely over northeast India and adjoining Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during the next 5 days.
The IMD announced the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon in Mumbai on June 11, Saturday. The advancement of the monsoon towards the Bay of Bengal will bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in the Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, said the IMD.