SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) have appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Education Minister Sakina Itoo to extend the ongoing summer vacation in schools by at least two more weeks, citing the severe and unprecedented heatwave impacting the Kashmir Valley.
Expressing concern over the extreme weather conditions, KCCI in a statement emphasized that the safety and health of students should be the top priority. The Chamber highlighted that many educational institutions, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are inadequately equipped to cope with such high temperatures. Most schools lack proper ventilation, cooling facilities, or heat mitigation infrastructure, posing serious challenges for students and staff to operate safely.
Currently, the summer vacation is scheduled to end on July 7, but KCCI urges the government to extend it further, allowing children to remain indoors during this exceptionally hot spell. The Chamber warned that reopening schools under these conditions could expose students to health risks, including heatstroke and dehydration.
To ensure that academic progress is maintained during the extended break, KCCI has recommended that the government initiate online classes and leverage digital learning platforms to keep students engaged. This approach, the Chamber argues, would help balance safety concerns with the need to continue education.
KCCI has called upon the Chief Minister and Education Minister to act swiftly and issue the necessary directives to implement this extension, prioritizing student health and safety in these challenging weather conditions.
In a statement, KTA President Aijaz Shahdhar said the temperature in Srinagar crossed 37 degrees Celsius on Friday — a level not witnessed since 1953. He said such extreme weather poses a serious health risk to school-going children, especially in the absence of proper infrastructure like cooling systems and ventilation in most schools.
Shahdhar stressed that continuing physical classes under the current conditions would be unsafe and counterproductive. He urged the Education Department to extend the vacation beyond July 7, the scheduled reopening date, and recommended the initiation of online classes during the extended break to ensure academic continuity.
The KTA also appealed to Education Minister Sakina Itoo to take urgent action and issue necessary directions keeping in view student health and safety. The Alliance said the government must act swiftly and responsibly to prevent further distress among children and their families due to the ongoing heatwave.
KCCI, KTA urge extension of summer vacation amid unprecedented heatwave
