Punjab, Himachal Pradesh schools to remain shut until September 7 amid heavy rainfall

The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that all schools across the state will remain closed until September 7 am heavy rainfall and water logging, said minister Harjot Singh Bains.

Earlier, the Punjab government had extended the closure of all schools until September 3 due to the ongoing flood situation in the state, officials announced on Sunday. The government also declared holidays for all schools from August 27 to 30.

According to the bulletin issued on Tuesday, all 23 districts of the state have been declared as hit by the floods. Punjab is facing its worst floods since 1988. As a many as 30 lives have been lost, while 3.5 lakh people have been impacted due to the nature' fury. The governor and the chief minister visited some of the affected areas on Tuesday.


The swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets have flooded large parts of the state following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Over 1,400 villages have been declared as affected. Deaths were reported across 12 districts with Pathankot reporting the highest death toll of six.

Nearly 20,000 people have so far been evacuated from the flood-hit areas.

Further, all schools and colleges in Himachal Pradesh are also set to be closed till September 7. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a post on X said, "In this hour of crisis, the safety of children, parents, and teachers is our utmost priority. Taking into account the weather conditions, we have decided to keep all government and private schools (including DIET) and colleges closed until 07.09.2025."

At least 15 houses were evacuated in the Ner Gharwarsra Panchayat of Jogindernagar, approximately 80 km from Mandi town, following a landslide that hit the area, police said on Wednesday.

The residents were safely evacuated as a precautionary measure due to continuous minor landslides in the region. The local administration is on the ground, monitoring the situation and ensuring public safety.

On Tuesday, two houses were buried under the debris after a landslide occured in Sundernagar town of Mandi district. The death toll from the incident rose to six after three more bodies were recovered.