Tripura shuts schools till April 23 due to heat wave, temperature above normal in rest of Northeast

Tripura government on Monday decided to keep all schools shut till April 23 due the heat wave situation.

The state capital, Agartala, clocked a temperature of 38 degree Celcius, which was 5.1 degree above normal temperature. Rest of Tripura also saw sweltering heat in the past few days, prompting the state government to ask all government run and grant-in-aid schools shut till April 23.

Issuing the order, Chief Minister Manik Saha said the private schools have also been asked to keep their institutions closed till April 23 in view of the increase in temperature. The CM said the decision was taken in view of the possibility of adverse impact of the heat on the health of students in the state.

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"On April 22, the situation will be reviewed and a call regarding further action will be taken according to weather conditions," an official in Tripura said. He said many areas in Tripura, particularly in the hilly region, were facing drinking water crisis due to the heat wave in the past few days.

Sanjay O'Neil Shaw, a scientist at the Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre said the temperature in the state capitals and major towns in the Northeast was five to six degrees more than the normal temperature.

Shaw said the maximum temperature in Guwahati on Monday was 37.2 degree Celsisu, which was six degrees more than the normal. Temperature in Imphal was 35 degree (6.4 degree more) and in Shillong it was 28.2 degrees (4.2 degree more).

Climate change:

Although temperatures in the Northeastern states remain relatively less compared to the rest of India, environmentalists say the rise in average temperature in the past few years suggest that the region is also facing the impact of climate change and pollution. They attribute the trend to destruction of forests and felling of trees for infrastructure development in the region.

"Many trees have been cut in and around Agartala in the past few years to clear ways for construction of roads, drainage and other activities. No major compensatory afforestation work has been done to counter the possible impact on the environment. Now we are facing the heat," a resident of Agartala told DH over phone. He, however, requested anonymity fearing "unwanted problems" from the administration.

In Guwahati too, over 2,000 trees have been cut in the past one year for expansion of a highway stretch from the city's Jalukbari area to Gorchuk. But no major afforestation work has been started yet on the highway stretch.