Ludhiana schools to start at 7 am from today

Education department in Ludhiana changes school timings due to high temperatures, with maximum reaching 45°C. Shifts adjusted to 7-12 for single-shift schools and 7-10 & 10.15-1.15 for double-shift schools.

As the maximum temperature in the district continues to hover close to 45°C, the education department has directed a change in timing of all schools until May 31. The decision will cover all government, aided and private schools.

Students leave after school hours amid scorching heat in Ludhiana. PAU officials said that no respite from the heat is likely till May 20. (HT File)

In single-shift schools, the timings have been changed to 7 am to 12 noon. The schools were earlier running from 8 am to 2 pm. For double shift schools, the new timings of the first shift are 7am to 10 am. The second shifts will run from 10.15 am to 1.15 pm.

After the demand for change in school timings by the teachers and parents, deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney had passed on the recommendation to the secretary of the education department.

As per the local weather report of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature of Ludhiana was recorded at 44.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, which is 4.6 notches above normal. On Saturday, the maximum temperature reached up to 45.2 degrees Celsius.

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) meteorological department director Pavneet Kaur Kingra said on Saturday that heat wave conditions would be persist across the district for a few more days and the variation in maximum temperature would not be more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Kingra added that such extreme weather conditions were due to increasing variability year to year. Carbon emissions and global warming were the main reasons behind the rising temperatures, she said.