In Uttar Pradesh, severe cold and dense fog have put brakes on the pace of life. The worst effect of this bad weather is being seen on the children going to school in the morning. Keeping in mind the health and safety of children, the administration has taken strict steps. Amidst the bone-chilling cold, District Magistrates have declared holidays in schools in many districts of the state including Sambhal, which has brought great relief to students and parents.
Lockdown in schools from nursery to 12th in Sambhal, administration issued order for two days holiday
Sambhal District Magistrate Dr. Rajendra Pansia has declared holiday on 23rd and 24th December in all schools with immediate effect in view of the increasing cold in the district. This order issued by the administration will be equally applicable to all schools from nursery to class 12th. This includes council, government, aided and all private schools (CBSE, ICSE and UP Board). However, the DM has clarified that the schools where examinations are already scheduled will be conducted as per their scheduled schedule. Apart from this, teachers and non-teaching staff will have to come to school and discharge their departmental duties.
City covered with white blanket of icy winds and fog, vehicles were seen crawling on the roads due to zero visibility.
The harshest form of weather is being seen in Sambhal and surrounding areas. The minimum temperature in the district has dropped to 10.2 degrees Celsius, while due to dense fog in the morning, visibility on the roads remained negligible. Due to the icy winds, people were seen saving themselves from the cold with the help of bonfires throughout the day. The Meteorological Department has also warned that this outbreak of fog may deepen further in the next 48 hours, in view of which people have been advised to exercise caution.
Order issued to keep schools closed in many districts including Amethi, Sitapur and Ambedkar Nagar.
The outbreak of cold wave is not limited to Sambhal only, but the administration has taken precautionary measures in other districts of the state also. District Magistrates in Sitapur and Ambedkar Nagar have directed to keep all schools up to class 12th closed till December 24. Whereas in Amethi, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra, holidays have been declared till December 24 in schools up to class 8th. Since Christmas public holiday is already scheduled on December 25, schools in these districts will now open only on or after December 26.
School timings changed in Lucknow and option of online classes in Noida-Ghaziabad
At present, schools have not been completely closed in the capital Lucknow, but in view of the cold, a major change has been made in the timings. Now all board schools in Lucknow will operate from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Similarly, in Bareilly, Moradabad and Rampur, school timings for small children (up to class 8th) have been fixed from 10:00 am. On the other hand, in view of the double whammy of pollution and fog in Noida and Ghaziabad, many schools have shifted studies up to class 5 to online mode indefinitely.
Strict action will be taken against school operators who ignore the rules, safety of children is paramount
The district administration has instructed all school operators to strictly follow the order. The officials have clearly said that there will be no compromise with the safety of children. If any educational institution is found violating the holiday order, strict action will be taken against it under the Disaster Management Act. The administration is continuously monitoring the situation and further decisions will be taken according to the weather.
