60 Bastar schools declared unsafe ahead of new session
Students forced to study in unsafe schools amid monsoon fears
Jagdalpur | Correspondent: As the new education session is about to begin in the Bastar district, a severe hollow claims comes in front of the education department. The department found that about 60 government school buildings across the district have deteriorated and are in extremely dilapidated state. Irony is that the department itself has officially categorised it as 'Danger Zone'
A matter of concern is that the department currently possesses no available budget for the renovation of these crumbling structures. Consequently, in the upcoming academic session as well, school children will be compelled to risk their lives by sitting beneath these cracking walls and fragile roofs, a situation that has sparked an atmosphere of deep fear and resentment among parents.
With the onset of the monsoon season, the situation in these educational institutions becomes even more alarming; leaking roofs cause severe disruptions to academic activities, forcing students to scramble in search of dry spots to sit.
The situation in several rural and urban pockets of the district is so critical that, in Barupata (Tokapal block), a 56-year-old school building stands on the verge of collapse, leaving 29 students to pursue their education under the constant shadow of fear.
Meanwhile, at the Primary School in Suripata, road construction work has created such a severe waterlogging problem that, during the rainy season, students are compelled to relocate to a school in the neighboring village of Dimrapal.
Another glaring example of this severe infrastructure deficit can be found in Teli Marenga village (Dongriguda), where a primary school built in 1961 has completely crumbled into ruins. To ensure the continuity of education for the 113 enrolled students, they are currently being accommodated in a small, nearby Anganwadi center a facility with a seating capacity of barely 20 children.
Both teachers and students are deeply distressed by this predicament, which forces them to cram over a hundred children into a single small room in order to conduct classes. Due to this apathy on the part of the administration, the educational infrastructure in the forested regions of Bastar has completely crumbled; furthermore, if concrete measures are not taken before the onset of the monsoon, a major tragedy cannot be ruled out. (Symbolic Photo)
