Key Points

In an official order issued by the Department of Higher Education, Secretary (Education) Rakesh Kanwar said the state has been witnessing "persistent heavy to very heavy rainfall across all regions over the past several days, leading to widespread landslides, felling of trees, road blockages, interruptions in electricity and drinking water supply, and significant damage to public infrastructure."

The order cautioned that, due to prevailing inclement weather conditions, "there is a high possibility of recurrence of such incidents at several locations in the entire State of Himachal Pradesh."

It said that teachers and administrative staff are also exempted from attending colleges and schools, but heads of institutions must ensure that "teaching classes are conducted through online mode, whenever possible." Heads of institutions have been instructed to remain vigilant and ensure the safety and security of infrastructure, movable assets, and school records during the closure period.

Speaking to reporters and later to ANI, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that the rain has disrupted normal life not only in Himachal Pradesh but also in other parts of northern India.

"As you know, the whole of North India has been affected by rainfall from Uttarakhand to Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. In view of the record-breaking rainfall and the situation in the last three-four days, our government had already delegated powers to district administrations to take decisions at their level as per conditions. But now, to avoid confusion and inconvenience, we have taken a uniform decision to keep educational institutions closed for the remaining three-four days of this week because the safety of children is very important," he said.

Thakur added that online classes would continue so that studies are not affected, expressing hope that weather conditions would improve and "regular classes will resume from next week."

He said the department is one of the largest in the state and works in close coordination with all secretaries and officials. "Our attempt is to strengthen and consolidate education in the state," he said.

On Teachers' Day celebrations, Thakur confirmed that the state-level programme on September 5 would be attended by the Governor and Chief Minister. He said September 8 would be "a historic and important day for Himachal Pradesh" as the state would be formally declared fully literate, joining the list of fully literate states and union territories in India.

Regarding sports activities, Thakur said that except for a couple of districts, "14 sports tournaments had been postponed due to weather conditions" and would be rescheduled later depending on local conditions.

The minister also spoke about the impact of rain on the ongoing apple season.

"In Shimla district, from where I belong, there has been heavy damage to roads. I have called a meeting related to the apple season to make important decisions. So far, 1.35 crore apple cartons have been marketed, which is about 50 percent of the crop," he said.

Thakur said the first phase of losses began in June-July in Mandi district, followed by Chamba, Kullu, and now Shimla.

"Marketing of apples depends on transportation via roads, and our connectivity has been badly affected. The PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh has already held a separate meeting on road restoration. I will also review the situation with officials to ensure farmers can market their fruit without losses," he said, adding that the next 15-20 days would be crucial for the apple harvest and road restoration efforts.

The minister assured that "all efforts will be made to open roads quickly so that farmers and orchardists do not suffer further losses," he said.

- ANI