School Holiday: Punjab shuts schools till September 3 amid floods; Jammu on September 1 due to heavy rains

Earlier, Bhagwant Mann government announced holidays for all schools from August 27 to 30. Schools in the Jammu region remained closed throughout the week as a precaution, following weather advisories.

Harjot Singh Bains declares Punjab school holidays till September 3

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated, “In accordance with the directives of Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann, keeping in view the flood situation in Punjab, holidays have been declared in all government/aided/recognised and private schools in the state until September 3, 2025.”

While taking to X, he said, “Parents and students are requested to prioritise safety and comply with the instructions issued by the administration.”

Jammu school holiday on September 1

According to the Directorate of School Education, all government and private schools will remain shut across Jammu on Monday, PTI reported. It cited relentless rain and landslides that lashed the hilly areas of the division.

“Keeping in view the incessant rain and landslides in the hilly areas, and to ensure the safety of students and staff, it is hereby ordered that all government and private schools across Jammu division shall continue to remain closed on 01-09-2025 (Monday),” Naseem Javaid Chowdhary, Director School Education, Jammu stated in the official order. 

Punjab floods: What we know so far

The most-affected villages consist of those in the districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar.

The Hoshiarpur district administration unveiled the ‘Charda Suraj’ campaign in partnership with the Red Cross Society and numerous NGOs and reached 1,225 flood-hit individuals in the district as part of the relief efforts.

The Western Command of the Indian Army has been actively carrying out large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts. A total of 47 units have been deployed, comprising army aviation assets and Indian Air Force helicopter teams, along with engineering units, medical teams, and communication support to deliver rapid relief, an official statement read.

Mann wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to release ₹60,000 crore of the “state’s funds”, which he alleged are “stuck” with the central government.

Mann also urged rev in the norms for funds available in the State Disaster Response Fund(SDRF), saying that his government wanted to pay at least ₹50,000 per acre to affected farmers.

“Punjab is facing a tough time due to the worst flood conditions. You are requested to release all funds of Punjab stuck with the Government of India, which is to the tune of ₹60,000 crore. Since the crops were almost at the harvesting stage, I feel that at least ₹50,000 per acre should be paid to the farmers. So I request you to revise the norms of compensation of SDRF. Needless to say the state government shall continue to contribute 25 per cent as per the scheme of SDRF.” Mann said.

He added, “Heavy monsoon rains, coupled with the release of waters from dams, have caused extensive flooding in seven districts, namely Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Hoshiarpur. With the situation still evolving, there is a grave concern that conditions may further deteriorate in the coming days.”

Jammu Kashmir rains

Since August 14, over 130 people, mostly pilgrims, have lost their lives, more than 120 have been injured, and 33 are still missing due to cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods across the Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban districts, as per a PTI report.

Heavy rainfall on August 26-27 led to flash floods in low-lying areas, resulting in extensive damage to both public and private property.