Schools in Punjab will remain closed from 27 to 30 August amid heavy rain forecast

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that all schools across the state will remain shut from August 27 to 30 in view of continuous heavy rainfall in the state. Mann shared the decision in a post on X, urging citizens to stay safe as the state braces for more rain.

Over the past few days, several parts of Punjab have witnessed persistent downpours, and the meteorological department has predicted that the spell is likely to continue. The closure order applies to all government and private institutions, including primary, secondary, and senior secondary schools.

Meanwhile, the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets being in spate due to incessant rainfall in their catchment areas, and the release of surplus water from Pong and Bhakra dams have compounded problems for villages across several districts in Punjab.

The Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets are in spate because of heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Water release from Pong dam in Himachal Pradesh continued on Monday even as several low-lying villages of the Tanda region remained inundated for the last several days.