Chhattisgarh schools closed as mercury crosses 45-degree mark
By IANSWednesday, April 14, 2010
RAIPUR - With mercury crossing the 45-degree mark in many parts of Chhattisgarh Wednesday, the state government ordered closure of all schools till June 15.
School education minister Brijmohan Agrawal said the government order would strictly be enforced and action taken against private schools if they continued to hold classes from April 15.
The state continued to reel under a severe heat wave with many parts recording temperatures of over 45 degrees Celsius, a weather official said.
Bilaspur town recorded 45.3 degrees, the same as Katghora in Korba district and Lormi in Bilaspur district. The maximum temperature was 45.1 degrees in Dhamtari town and 45.2 degrees in Rajnandgaon.
A statement from the meteorological centre here said the temperatures were at least five degrees higher than what the state witnessed in the past five years during mid-April.
As many as 33 people have been admitted since April 10 to the state’s biggest hospital, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital, after they suffered heat stroke.
Three children died in Korba district due to the heat wave last week.
