Shimla/Dharamshala (PTI): All educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts will remain closed on July 20 and 21 in view of a red alert issued by the weather department, officials said on Monday.
The Met office has issued a red warning for heavy rains in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on Monday and for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on Tuesday.
Kangra District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Hem Raj Bairwa ordered the closure of all government and private educational institutions in the district on July 20 and 21.
Similar orders were also issued by Mandi Deputy Commissioners Apoorv Devgan and Sirmaur DC Priyanka Verma.
The closure will apply to all schools, colleges, vocational and technical training institutes, anganwadi centres, creches, the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, and the Sanskrit University at Balyahar in Kangra district, an order issued late on Sunday said.
Bairwa also instructed that the examinations scheduled on July 20 and 21 will be postponed. While teaching and non-teaching staff will remain off duty, their services may be requisitioned by the district administration for emergency or disaster management duties if required, he said.
In Mandi, all government schools, private educational institutions, ITIS, DIET, vocational training institutes, anganwadis and private day cares will remain closed.
However, the order does not apply to residential educational institutions, including IIT Mandi, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital, Nerchowk, and other medical education institutions.
A sudden, high-intensity flash flood in Tubar Nallah near Rani Kanda, along the Sangla-Chitkul route in Kinnaur district, caused massive destruction on Sunday.
A vital road connecting the Tibet border area with Uttarakhand via Chitkul has been completely blocked, officials said.
A bridge over the Tubar Nallah was also damaged by powerful torrents, severing road connectivity to forward posts of the Army and the ITBP. This route is strategically crucial, as it facilitates the movement of troops and supplies to the Army and ITBP forward posts located near the Tibet border.
Officials in Himachal Pradesh are on high alert after the Shimla meteorological office predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in four to five districts.
Very heavy rains imply rainfall between 115.6 and 204.5 mm, while extremely heavy rains indicate rainfall over 204.5 mm in a day.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant directed all deputy commissioners to activate district emergency operation centres on a 24x7 basis, identify vulnerable locations prone to landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts and take preventive measures.
The commissioners have been instructed to keep Quick Response Teams, SDRF, NDRF, Home Guards, fire services, police and ambulances in complete readiness.
The public has been asked to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers, streams, nallahs and landslide-prone slopes, and desist from attempting to cross overflowing bridges or flooded roads.
Authorities have asked people to follow official advisories and contact the state emergency helpline, 1070, or the district emergency helpline, 1077, in case of any emergency.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
