Patna: With temperatures soaring above 42°C in parts of Bihar, authorities in Bhagalpur, Gaya, Banka and Aurangabad joined Patna on Thursday in revising school schedules to protect students from the intensifying heatwave. District Magistrates across these regions issued orders to restrict school operations to morning hours only, citing health risks posed by extreme afternoon temperatures.
In Bhagalpur, DM Naval Kishore Chaudhary announced that all government and private schools, along with Anganwadi centres, will remain closed after 11am from April 25 to 27, warning that “severe heat in the afternoon may adversely impact the health and lives of children.”
Gaya, which recorded the highest temperature in the state on Thursday, has limited classes up to 11.30am. A similar directive was issued in Banka by DM Anshul Kumar, also effective until April 27. In Aurangabad, all schools must close by 11.45am, as per district orders.
The move follows a similar directive in Patna, where DM Dr Chandrashekhar Singh had earlier restricted classroom activity beyond 11.45am through April 30 due to persistent high temperatures.
The revised timings apply to both government and private institutions, including pre-schools, and aim to minimise student exposure to midday heat as forecasts predict continued high temperatures and possible heatwave conditions in several parts of the state.
