NEW DELHI — As temperatures in India’s capital climb toward 44°C this week, authorities have ordered schools to ring “water bells” every 45-60 minutes, reminding students to hydrate and stave off dehydration amid brutal summer heat.
The Delhi education directorate’s April 21 guidelines mandate a host of protective measures for the city’s schoolchildren, including a buddy system where paired students monitor each other’s well-being, curtailed outdoor assemblies in shaded or indoor spaces, and bans on open-air classes or physical activities.
Weather forecasters predict highs of 41-43°C later on April 22, escalating to 42-44°C by week’s end, prompting a “yellow alert” from the India Meteorological Department for likely heatwave conditions. Morning readings across the 30-million-strong metro area hovered at a milder 29.4°C.
India’s summer swelter has proven deadly, with nearly 11,000 heat stroke deaths nationwide from 2012-2021 per government data. New Delhi matched its 2022 record of 49.2°C during a scorching May 2024 heatwave, part of 2024’s nationwide hottest-year mark since records began in 1901, exacerbated by climate-driven extremes.
Schools must also hold awareness sessions on hydration’s importance, equipping students against the annual threat in the world’s most populous nation.