'Stay hydrated': All schools will have water bells ringing

GURGAON: As the temperature is rising, schools in the state have been asked to ring bells every hour as a reminder for students to drink water. The city, for the third consecutive day, witnessed heatwave on Tuesday.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 44.2 degrees Celsius.
The education department has released a 14-point advisory for schools with a list of dos and don'ts to ensure safety of students.
In the advisory, schools have been told to ensure availability of potable cold water and utilise their Red Cross funds to get ORS packets.
The windows and doors should remain covered with reflectors like aluminum foil and curtains are to be put up to prevent heat waves from entering the classrooms, the list mentioned.
Further, the department has also instructed the schools not to organize any event or gathering in open and to let the students be indoors.
Students and teachers will be guided about the steps they have to take in emergencies if anyone suffers a heat blow. The department has told them to contact the ministry of Ayush for suggestion on the preparedness for unanticipated health situations.
The advisory said that everyone - students and teachers alike - should cover their heads with hats or cotton scarves to avoid direct contact with the scorching rays of the sun.
A senior official from the department said, "Cases of heatstroke have increased in the state as the temperature has started to soar. Children are usually hyperactive and get dehydrated. The department has issued an advisory to help keep them safe when they are going to schools in the scorching heat."
"Ringing bells to remind students to drink water will also inculcate the habit in them and also prevent them from overconsuming solid food, which is dangerous in this weather," he added.