The death of a Class II student of a Government primary school in Tehri district on Tuesday by subsidence of soak pit of a school has once again highlighted the threat the dilapidated school buildings pose to the lives of students.
The accident occurred in Ranihat village of Kirtinagar block when the lintel of a soak pit of an old and unused toilet of the village primary school collapsed in which eight year old Archana died.
like it happens in such cases the education department has ordered a customary inquiry in the awefull accident but prima facie the negligence of the school staff is apparent as they were allowing the students to go over the crumbling lintel roof of the discarded soak pit.
The damaged school buildings pose a big threat to the lives of the students and staff. This threat increases many folds during the rainy season and incidences of collapse of such structures are more during this period of the year.
It is worth mentioning here that earlier on July 14, The Pioneer had elicited focus on this threat looming over the heads of the students. Incidentally the area where this accident occurred is part of Devprayag Assembly constituency represented by none other than the state education minister Mantri Prasad Naithani.
The department data suggests that the number of damaged primary and Upper Primary schools (UPS) in Uttarakhand are 768 and 69 respectively. Incidentally the number of primary schools running in damaged buildings has increased this year than last year.
With a total of 141 damaged Primary and UPS, Almora district tops the list of damaged school buildings followed by Tehri where the number of such schools are 123. What is interesting to note that the Almora and Tehri are home districts of state chief Minister and education minister respectively.
The numbers of school buildings in shambles are more in the mountainous areas of state where natural agencies pose much bigger threat to the buildings than in plains.
When contacted the Primary education Director Seema Jaunsari told The Pioneer that the department has issued strict orders that the students should not sit in the damaged buildings or rooms with leaking roofs. She said a budget of Rs35.42 crores has been sanctioned under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) this year to construct new school buildings in 281 Primary and UPS in the State and major repairs would be taken up in 197 schools.