Hyderabad Rains: After Tuesday struggle, holiday a boon

HYDERABAD: Tuesday morning turned chaotic for students and parents who had to keep track of news via Twitter or WhatsApp groups about the government suddenly declaring a holiday due to heavy rains. The government had done precisely this last week, ordering schools to close after the children had reached there.

Parents had appealed to education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy since Monday evening to declare a holiday to avoid a late announcement. "Once the orange and red alerts were making headlines, we made calls to the school management asking for an update. They said they would have to wait for the deputy education officers to confirm anything," said Pranuti Raj, a parent of a school near DD Colony.

Schools and college management told Deccan Chronicle that they had expected a holiday to be declared but would not make any decision by themselves. "Unit tests/assessment exams begin today, we didn't want to lose out on completing the syllabus for this term either. Even if we were to declare, I think online classes and exams would be the way to go, we can't afford to lose any more time or rush through the syllabus towards the end of the term," said Nalini Prasad, correspondent of a private school.

As expected, parents who were dropping off their children, as well as autorickshaws and buses taking students to school had a tough time in reaching on time due to slow-moving traffic and wet roads across several zones. A parent even complained about the school levying a fine of ₹50 because he dropped his ward 10 minutes late.

College students suffered badly, especially those plying on routes 113M (Uppal Depot to Waverock) and Koti, Dilsukhnagar areas, with many people opting for public transport on a rainy day. The Hyderabad Metro Rail was crowded with working professionals and students.

With the Indian Meteorological Department sounding a red alert for several districts in Telangana, including Hyderabad, for the next two days, parents and managements hope the education minister would make an announcement before it's too late. "The roads are completely waterlogged and with us taking alternative routes and not knowing where potholes or manholes could be, it's getting dangerous with each passing day," said Manoj Reddy, another parent told Deccan Chronicle.