Schools in Punjab have reopened today, September 8, but only for teachers and staff, as the state prepares to resume academic activity following recent weather disruptions.
The state government has directed school employees to report to their respective institutions to conduct building inspections, safety checks and cleaning operations.
To recall, schools in the state have been closed since August 27 owing to torrential rains and floods, the worst in three decades, which have killed at least 43 people.
District Commissioners (DCs) have been tasked with evaluating the state of schools in their individual districts. Schools that have suffered major water or structural damage may remain closed, according to their recommendations.
If schools are certified safe, students in Punjab are likely to return to the classrooms on September 9, India Today reports
In Jammu, the Directorate of School Education has instructed all government and private schools to prepare for reopening following an 11-day closure due to torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides.
Offline classes are expected to resume on September 10, pending final safety certification.
Similarly, schools in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also expected to remain closed due to bad weather. According to Himachal Pradesh’s Education Minister, about 700 schools and colleges in the state incurred heavy damages due to rains, as per a report by Careers360.
As of yesterday, September 7, the Indian Meteorological Department also issued a red alert in Gujarat, along with warnings of severe rainfall in several districts in the state, according to NDTV.
