With temperatures soaring across the region and classrooms turning increasingly vulnerable to heat stress, the district administration in Moga has stepped in with urgent, student-focused measures. In a decisive move, Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia today mandated hourly water breaks in all schools, placing hydration at the centre of the fight against the ongoing heat wave.The directive, applicable to government, government-aided, and private institutions, aims to shield children from dehydration and heat-related illnesses as mercury levels continue to rise beyond seasonal norms.Under the new guidelines, every school must ensure that students pause for a water break every hour without exception. School heads have been tasked with actively monitoring compliance, ensuring that no child remains without adequate hydration during school hours.Officials said the move is not just precautionary but essential, given the increasing frequency of heat waves impacting the region.Recognising the risks posed by direct sunlight, the administration has also ordered schools to reschedule or curtail outdoor activities, including morning assemblies and physical training sessions during peak heat hours. Institutions have been advised to shift such activities to cooler periods of the day or conduct them indoors wherever feasible.Schools have been directed to maintain round-the-clock availability of safe and clean drinking water, with strict instructions that infrastructure lapses will not be tolerated during this period.In addition to physical safeguards, the administration has pushed for mandatory awareness sessions. Students and staff will be trained to recognise early symptoms of heat stroke and adopt preventive measures, reinforcing preparedness at the grassroots level.Detailed instructions have been circulated to all education officials, including District Education Officers, Block Primary Education Officers, and heads of private institutions, ensuring district-wide enforcement of the guidelines.DC Setia emphasised that student safety remains non-negotiable, urging school authorities to treat the orders with utmost seriousness amid what is shaping up to be an intense early summer.