West Bengal government announced summer vacation in the state to commence earlier than previously expected. According to the last declaration of the Chief Minister, the vacation will start on 2nd May.
Last evening, the honorable CM, Mamata Banerjee, announced that summer vacation in the state for government as well as private schools will begin early as the state is under tremendously searing heat waves. The state had been severely affected by the weather condition as the weather forecast for Western and Southern districts of Bengal held out no hope for respite. No rain is expected to be in sight at least this month. There is a possibility of thunderstorm on the first day of May.
On Tuesday, the CM convened a meeting on an emergency basis to address the dire situation amid the prevailing bad condition of the weather. Officials who are senior in various departments such as, Agriculture, Disaster Management, Power, Health, Irrigation were asked to be present in the meeting. The five districts of sub-Himalayan Bengal-Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar are likely to experience cooler weather as the forecasting office declared light to moderate rain over those regions in the next three days.
The CM was seen to be present at Nabanna meeting room on Wednesday afternoon and she ordered the Education Secretary of the Department of the state to issue a notice of holiday for the academic institutions. Not only the schools, colleges and universities will also be closed due to this unprecedented rise in temperature. The duration of the holiday needs to be decided by the education department itself. However, she hinted that the vacation may continue till 20th or 15th June.
The Minister seemed concerned about the issue as she met the officials to discuss urgent matters. Many schoolchildren are suffering due to this weather and falling sick. On the other hand, ICSE and ISC exams along with other school exams are also going on. The mode of the exam after the holiday is not yet declared and the students are yet to know about it from the respective schools. The guardians of the children are also divided among modes of classes in this bad weather. Some seem comfortable to keep their children at home due to the unbearable heat, while others are fine with the hybrid (online and offline classes combined) mode of teaching.
Kolkata has been devoid of rain for 57 long days and the heat waves are likely going to continue till Thursday. Districts like Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia, Malda, South Dinajpur, West Burdwan, Birbhum, West Midnapore are likely to face the effects of the heat waves on a maximum level. Alipur had declared that the weather may change from Friday. There can be rain in the weekends in a couple of districts. Kolkata along with Southern Bengal may expect a downpour on Monday.
Yesterday too the people in Kolkata faced an incorrigible amount of heat. The lowest temperature was 28°C there which is 2° more than the normal temperature. Many districts in Northern Bengal are facing similar condition like Kolkata. A few of them including Darjeeling may expect drizzle soon.
In this condition, the decision of the government seems to be a good idea for the overall welfare of the students. Both children and their parents find this declaration much relaxing.