Delhi schools to be closed till Jan 12 due to cold wave

Education Minister Kiran Walia said all schools run by Delhi Government, municipal corporations, Delhi Cantonment Board, and recognised aided and unaided schools have been instructed to follow the order.

The order has been issued by the Directorate of Education on the directive of the Education Minister.

Asking the schools to strictly comply with the order, the government cautioned that its non-compliance will be "viewed seriously".

In effect, the schools will reopen on January 14 as January 13 is a Sunday.

"We have sent the directive to the all the schools. They will have to comply with the order," said an official.

There are about 4,500 schools in Delhi which are under Delhi Government, municipal corporations and Delhi Cantonment Board. Nearly 2,600 schools are government schools while rest are unaided private.

The national capital continued to be in the grip of an intense cold wave with the day temperature remaining well below normal. The maximum temperature had plummeted to 9.8 degree Celsius yesterday, the lowest in 44 years.

The maximum temperature today rose to 12.7 degree Celsius which is eight degrees below normal. The minimum was recorded at 4.4 degree Celsius which is three degrees below normal.