Punjab govt extends holidays in schools till July 16 amid floods

Relief work continued at a brisk pace in the flood-affected areas of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, where the rain fury has left normal life paralysed in worst-hit parts.

Considering the safety of students, the Punjab government on Thursday extended the holiday in schools till July 16. Earlier, it had announced holidays till July 13.

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains tweeted that all schools will remain closed till July 16. Authorities in the two states have stepped up relief operations as the weather has improved over the past three days.

Meanwhile, officials said the water flowing in Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar district on Thursday was 1.62 lakh cusecs at 10 am, significantly down from Tuesday morning’s flow rate of around 3.21 lakh cusecs of water discharged from the barrage.

However, the gushing floodwaters from the Yamuna river over the past two days have inundated vast tracts of agricultural land in Karnal and Panipat districts and impacted some villages.

As Delhi recorded a rapid increase in Yamuna’s water level over the past three days, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting that the water from the Hathnikund barrage be released slowly.