Starting today, April 18, all government schools in Tripura will remain shut till April 23 due to the prevailing heatwave conditions. Chief Minister Manik Saha announced the closure of both state-run and state-aided schools on Monday, April 17. The decision impacts 7.02 lakh students.

The scorching heat may adversely impact the health of the students, Saha said in a Facebook post. He also appealed to the private schools in the state to do the same in view of the adverse weather conditions. However, colleges and universities in the state will function as usual, the concerned government officials said, as per a report by PTI.

"Mercury is hovering around 37 degrees Celsius in Tripura over the last three days. Rains are unlikely till April 20," weather officials said. According to the local meteorological department, the highest temperature in the state this year was recorded on April 14 and 15 at 39.3 degrees Celsius. However, the department maintained that the state has not experienced a heatwave yet, as per a report by the Indian Express.

Nonetheless, today the government issued a notification directing the concerned government officials to take necessary precautionary measures in view of the heatwave conditions. The district magistrates and collectors have been asked to submit action-taken reports in this regard to the revenue department, according to Indian Express.