Early winter vacations need of the hour

The demand for the early winter vacations for schools have gone louder as the foggy weather as well as the chilly conditions, especially in the morning, have been giving a tough time to the students. The winter chill has returned to the Valley as the mercury has plummeted across the region with Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir witnessing coldest night of the season at minus 0.8 degree Celsius. Various places across the region have been witnessing sub-zero temperature for the last couple of days, thus making it difficult for the students to reach the schools in the morning hours amidst the chilly weather conditions. For the wellbeing of students, the Private Schools Association Jammu & Kashmir have urged the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, to announce early winter vacations. As per the experts, the winter chill increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. They believe the number of heart attack and stroke patients in Kashmir hospitals double in winter. The frigid temperatures constrict blood vessels that increase blood pressure, which makes heart attack or stroke more likely. Moreover, the reports quoting the health experts have claimed that Kashmir is witnessing a significant surge in flu cases, with hospitals and medical facilities reporting an increase in patients seeking treatment amid the winter chill in the Valley. Hospital authorities have also noted that children and the elderly are the most affected demographics, leading to a spike in respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and body ache. Therefore, in such a scenario, the early announcement on winter vacations is the need of the hour for the wellbeing of the students. At this juncture, the government needs to consider the decision by roping in the health experts, parents as well as the school authorities so that a favourable decision is taken at an earliest and the children could heave a sigh of relief.