Bhubaneswar, March 20: In view of the prevailing hot weather conditions in the state, the Odisha government has asked all district collectors to start morning classes in all schools from Friday. School and Mass Education secretary Shalini Pandit has written a letter to all district collectors in this regard on Thursday. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday had said that morning classes in schools would commence from April 2, but it was now decided to reschedule the school timings of classes 1 to 12 from 6.30 am to 10.30 am.
“Government after careful consideration has been pleased to take the following measures along with rescheduling the timing of classes in all educational institutions under the School and Mass Education Department i.e. government, government aided and privately managed schools to mitigate heatwave situation in the state during summer-2025,” Pandit said in the letter to district collectors. She has asked the collectors to ensure the availability of drinking water in all schools. Odisha School Time Change: Timings for Schools Changed With Immediate Effect Amid Heatwave, Check Revised Schedule.
Wherever required, tube wells inside the school campus should be repaired to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply, she said. The secretary also directed district collectors to keep sufficient ORS packets in the schools and restrict outdoor activities so as to prevent the students from being exposed to heatwave conditions. All the parents will be sensitised to ensure that their children carry a water bottle while going to school. Ministry of Ayush Takes Proactive Steps to Safeguard Public Health Regarding Heatwave.
The school authorities were advised to allocate some time during school hours to give heatwave precautionary tips to the students. The collectors have been directed to keep a close watch on the weather conditions and are authorised to modify the school timing based on the field situation. On Thursday, Titlagarh in Bolangir district recorded the state’s highest temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius while Boudh recorded 40 degrees Celsius.
