Varanasi schools closed till February 8 amid pilgrim surge due to Maha Kumbh

The Varanasi district administration has ordered the closure of all schools up to Class 8 in urban areas until February 8 due to a sharp rise in the number of pilgrims visiting the city amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh. Schools have been instructed to shift to online classes during this period.

Basic Education Officer Arvind Kumar Pathak said that, as per the district magistrate’s directive, all government, government-aided, CBSE, ICSE, and other board-affiliated English and Hindi medium schools in Varanasi’s urban areas will remain closed until Saturday. However, schools in rural areas will continue normal operations.

The decision was made following severe traffic congestion in Varanasi on February 5, as an unexpected number of pilgrims arrived from Prayagraj. The authorities took this step to maintain law and order and manage traffic flow effectively.

While students will attend online classes, teachers and staff at government and aided schools have been instructed to be present for essential administrative work. Tasks such as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) processing, Aadhaar seeding, repairs, painting, and other maintenance activities under 'Operation Kayakalp' will continue. Scheduled training programmes for teachers will also take place as planned.

The extended closure aims to ensure the safety of students and reduce disruptions caused by the increased number of visitors. Authorities are monitoring the situation and will take further measures if necessary.

(With inputs from PTI)