As the cold wave has been reported in some parts of Northern India, with states including Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, the Punjab government has announced the extension of the winter break in all government, aided, recognized, and private schools. Notably, the schools will remain closed until January 7, 2025.

This decision has been taken following the directions from the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann. The schools have been closed due to severe cold conditions. The schools are now scheduled to open on January 8, 2024. The decision has been followed to ensure the safety and well-being of students amid the cold weather conditions.

Earlier, the Punjab state schools were scheduled to remain closed from Tuesday, December 24, 2024, to December 31, 2024. However, keeping the children’s safety in mind and the regions cold climatic conditions, the Punjab Government has extended the winter vacations for students across the state.

Taking to X, the Punjab Education Minister, Harjot Singh Bains, has also announced the information. He stated, As per the directions of the Honourable Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, due to cold weather, holidays are being observed in all government-aided, recognized, and private schools of Punjab until Tuesday, January 7, 2024. All schools will open on January 7, 2024.

Cold Wave Sweeping Punjab and Haryana

Additionally, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for fog and cold wave in 22 districts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday, December 30, 2024. The decision has been attributed to an ongoing cyclone circulation in the region. The IMD has warned that the visibility could be affected in some areas as dense fog may reduce the visibility to zero.

Orange Alert Issued

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Chandigarh forecast, the weather conditions are likely to remain affected in Punjab and Chandigarh, causing a significant drop in temperature across the region.

The regions issued in the orange alert in Punjab include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Moga, Bhatinda, Ludhiana, Barnala, and Mansa. The regions in Haryana are Jind, Fatehabad, Hisar, Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, Bhiwani, Mahendergarh, Jhajjar, Sira, Rohtak, and Gurugram.