Rains welcome students as schools re-open in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Dark clouds hung from the skies and showered drizzles on Tuesday morning as students headed for their schools after an extended summer vacation that went on for two months.

Donning raincoats and carrying umbrellas, little ones could be spotted all across as school buses and vans screeched through the city roads after a long gap.

"I will be meeting my friends after a long time.Although we were in touch over phone, I will be meeting them in person and I am really very excited,"said Charushree Behera, a student.

"The rains have played a spoilsport. Children are happy with the showers but it's difficult for parents. There was power cut since morning and we had a tough time getting ready," said Jyostna Sahoo, a parent

The schools were shut by the state government on April 25 and the holidays were extended twice because of the high temperature and intense heat conditions prevailing across the State.

While the first notification issued by the department said that the schools would reopen on June 18, the date was extended to June 21.

The holidays were extended for a second time to June 25 as the mercury showed no signs of dropping.

Meanwhile, the School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra on Monday asked all the school authorities to follow prescribed safety guidelines issued by the department.