Heatwave Alerts in Schools: How Indian states are beating the heat

प्रदेश में बढ़ती भीषण गर्मी और लू के प्रभाव को ध्यान में रखते हुए बच्चों के स्वास्थ्य की सुरक्षा सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता है।

इसी को ध्यान में रखते हुए हमारी सरकार ने स्कूलों के ग्रीष्मकालीन अवकाश को पूर्व निर्धारित तिथि से पहले लागू करते हुए अब 20 अप्रैल से 15 जून तक घोषित किया है -…

— Vishnu Deo Sai (@vishnudsai) April 16, 2026

Here is the list of all the states that have announced heatwave-related notifications for school students.

Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand government has instructed schools to ring water bells at regular intervals to help students stay hydrated during this summer’s heatwave. The State Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan directed officials to maintain sufficient supplies of medicines and equipment. He said the mandatory water breaks would ensure students drink water regularly and cope with the heat.

Madhya Pradesh

The Collector and District Magistrate of Satna has revised school timings to protect students from peak afternoon heat. All government, private, central, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, ICSE, CBSE, and other recognised schools in the district will now operate from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm, while teachers are required to stay until 1:30 pm.

जिले में गर्मी के दृष्टिगत स्कूल प्रातः7.30 बजे से दोपहर 1.30 बजे तक लगेंगे

कलेक्टर #सतना डॉ सतीश कुमार एस ने जारी किया स्कूलों के खुलने के समय में परिवर्तन का आदेश।#JansamparkMP @CMMadhyaPradesh@DrMohanYadav51 pic.twitter.com/FPZxDTPs6r

— Collector Satna (@Collector_Satna) April 16, 2026

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Odisha

Amid an intense heat wave sweeping Odisha, the authorities in three western districts on Friday ordered closure of all schools, colleges and educational institutions from April 18 to April 21, officials said. Separate notifications issued by the administrations of Bolangir, Subarnapur and Kalahandi cited prevailing hot and humid conditions for the decision.

“In view of the prevailing heat wave condition and Red Warning issued for Kalahandi district by the IMD, and keeping in mind the health of students, teachers and staff, all schools and anganwadi centres will remain closed from April 18 to April 21,” a notification issued by Kalahandi Collector Sachin Pawar said.

However, supplementary examinations for Classes 5 and 8 will be conducted between 7 am and 9 am, with provisions for light food such as fruits and biscuits for examinees, officials said.

Back on April 3, the Odisha government announced morning classes in schools with immediate effect as temperatures touched 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the state. In a letter, the School and Mass Education Department said class timings in all government, aided and private schools will be rescheduled from 6.30 am to 10.30 am. The order will remain in force till the summer vacation and will be implemented annually, it said, adding that normal timings will resume after the break. Collectors have been authorised to reschedule school hours in advance if required, depending on weather conditions.

Kerala

On the other hand, Kerala General Education V Sivankutty on Wednesday said that special classes during the summer vacation will not be permitted in schools and warned of strict action against institutions violating the rules. In a statement, the minister said that as per the Kerala Education Rules, summer vacation for students is mandated from the last working day of March till May, and this must be strictly followed. He said conducting classes during this period would be a violation of rules, and action would be taken against such institutions.

Citing the prevailing heatwave conditions, the minister said that even revised working hours have been introduced for labourers and forcing children to attend school during this period would amount to a violation of their fundamental and human rights.

Telangana

To prepare for the heatwave in Telangana, all schools have been directed to introduce water bells with mandatory breaks so students stay hydrated. Malls, religious places, and public buildings will serve as cooling centres for people looking to escape the heat. Schools have also been told to avoid open-air classes to prevent children from direct sun exposure. Additionally, Aanganwadi centres across Hyderabad and the state will now run only until 11 am.