Early summer holidays in Odisha schools likely

Bhubaneswar: With temperatures continuing to soar across the state, the govt is considering preponing summer vacation in schools, revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said on Thursday. A final decision is likely to be taken by the special relief commissioner and the chief minister within a day or two, he added.Speaking to mediapersons, Pujari said a meeting was held on Thursday with the special relief commissioner and officials of the school and mass education and higher education departments to review the heatwave situation. “Many districts are recording temperatures above 40ºC, and there is no immediate relief in sight,” he said.School and mass education minister Nityananda Gond said the usual schedule for the summer holidays is May 6 to June 17. “However, considering the existing situation, summer vacation may be announced earlier,” he added. Pujari said anganwadis may also be closed if conditions persist, with children receiving take-home ration instead.Meanwhile, the Khurda collector has directed schools and anganwadi centres to operate from 6.30 am to 9.30 am from Friday to avoid peak heat hours. In Dhenkanal, all govt and private educational institutions, including anganwadis, will remain closed until further orders due to the prevailing heatwave.