Bihar schools, coaching centres to remain closed till June 8 amid severe heatwave

Heatwave in Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar instructed state chief secretary Brajesh Mehrotra to take immediate action to protect the health of schoolchildren.

All private and government schools, as well as coaching centres in Bihar, will remain closed from May 30 to June 8 in view of severe heatwave conditions gripping the state. The decision follows a directive from chief minister Nitish Kumar, who instructed state chief secretary Brajesh Mehrotra to take immediate action to safeguard the health of schoolchildren amid the extreme temperatures.

Bihar schools and coaching centres are to remain closed till June 8 amid severe heatwave conditions. Chief Minister's Office described the situation as a calamity due to the scorching heat. (Santosh Kumar )

“The state is facing a calamity due to the scorching heat and severe heat wave,” the chief minister's office said in a statement.

“In view of this, chief minister Shri Nitish Kumar has directed chief secretary Shri Brajesh Mehrotra to ensure appropriate action regarding the closure of schools as per the need, in view of the current situation, so that the health of school children is not affected,” it added.

Kumar has directed Mehrotra to convene a meeting of the crisis management group tasked with evaluating the current conditions and deciding on further necessary steps to manage the heatwave's impact on the population.

“The Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary to organize a meeting of the crisis management group and ensure other necessary actions in the current context.”

Students fall ill

More than 100 students fainted due to intense heatwave conditions during classes and assembly prayers at separate schools in the state. The reports of students and teachers fainting on Wednesday in schools in districts like Aurangabad, Motihari, Siwan, Sheohar, Patna, Begusarai, Munger, Jamui, and Banka have sparked widespread concern and criticism of the state government’s handling of the crisis.

According to the IMD bulletin, nine districts of Bihar reported temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with Aurangabad reporting a maximum of 48.2 degrees Celsius while seven districts reported temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius.

“There is no government and democracy in Bihar, only bureaucracy. The CM is so weak that no one listens to him, even regarding the school timings. The temperature is 47 degrees, and there is a heatwave, but the officers are issuing orders from their air-conditioned chambers, sparing not even little children. The infrastructure of schools in Bihar is not hidden from anyone... But, there is nothing in the CM's hands,” Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said.

With inputs from Avinash Kumar in Bihar