School closure in Punjab: Classes up to standard 5 will remain closed till January 20

New Delhi: With cold wave conditions intensifying in northern India, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has decided to suspend all classes up to Class 5 in all schools till January 20. Classes for standard 6 to 12 are held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains made the announcement on , government aided and private schools up to class 10 till January 14.

However, schools were open for grades 11 and 12.

Cold wave intensifies in Punjab and Haryana

On Sunday, cold wave conditions tightened their grip in Punjab and Haryana, with minimum temperatures in both states falling further below normal limits. Ballowal Saunkhri in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district of Punjab recorded zero degrees Celsius, according to a report from the meteorological department here.

A thick blanket of fog enveloped several places in Punjab and Haryana and minimum temperatures two to four degrees below normal were recorded at several places in the two states.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, also reeled under severe cold conditions and recorded a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, which was 3.7 degrees below normal. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low temperature of 4.1 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperatures in Patiala and Ludhiana were 3.4 and 2.5 degrees Celsius respectively.

Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur recorded minimum temperatures of 6.2, 4.2, 4 and 4.5 degrees Celsius respectively.