In the wake of the ongoing water shortage in Shimla, the department of education ordered all government schools here to be shut from July 4 to 8.
However, schools will remain open during the annual monsoon break, scheduled in July.
Earlier in the day, protests against the water shortage in Shimla had put the state government in the dock for having failed to curtail the situation.
However, officials have cited rising mercury and drying up of natural water resources as the main cause of the crisis.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court had banned the use of tankers to supply water, except for the Governor's and Chief Minister's residences, after there were reports that tankers were being used to supply water in posh areas.
Shimla has a population of nearly 200,000 that requires 42 million litres per day (MLD) water.
Bottled water prices in the town have inflated sharply due to the crisis, while hotels have limited water supply to guests by providing them water in buckets.
(ANI)
