Vacations have come in earlier for school students in the Kashmir Valley, with a severe cold wave gripping the region.
The UT’s government and education officials announced the winter break earlier than that the usual, which would have been a week later.
The minister for education, Sakeena Itoo, said, “The classes for small children will shut on November 25 because of the cold.”
“The vacations for classes from 1 to 8 will commence from December 1, while the break for senior secondary classes will start from the second week of December,” she added.
The news has come as a relief to parents, who had been pleading with the government for an early winter break and struggling to pick and drop children as temperatures plummet.
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According to health authorities, young children and older people, who are particularly susceptible to colds since their immune system is still developing to resist the harsh winter conditions, while immune system remains compromised in older people.
The region of Kashmir is witnessing immense cold wave conditions since the first week of November, when the majority of the hill stations across J&K received their first snowfall of the season.
On Tuesday, temperatures in the summer capital of Srinagar dropped to minus 3.2 degrees, while fog continued to add to people’s woes with reduced visibility.
There may be some respite though as according to the latest weather forecast, there is no prediction for rain or snowfall for the next week. The conditions will remain dry, aided by the cold breeze.
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