As many as 325 rooms in 97 government schools of Karnal are not safe for students, reveals a survey conducted by the Education Department recently. Yet to be declared disaster-prone, a visit to these rooms can prove fatal if timely action is not taken.
As per information available, there are 777 government schools in the district — 487 primary, 115 middle, 63 high and 112 senior secondary schools. Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar had recently sought a report on the status of the buildings in the state, following which a condemnation committee was constituted that conducted the survey and found 325 rooms to be in a poor state.
The survey report says: “Assandh block tops the list with 95 dilapidated rooms spread across 25 government schools, while Indri block is at the second position with 64 rooms in poor condition in 22 schools. Similarly, 62 rooms in 21 schools of Nilokheri block, 50 rooms in 17 schools of Karnal block, 32 rooms in six schools of Gharaunda and 22 rooms in six schools of Nissing are in a poor
condition.”
The Government Senior Secondary School in Rahra village of Assandh block houses the maximum number of dilapidated rooms (21), followed by 15 rooms and the toilet block in Government Senior Secondary School, Gharaunda, 10 rooms in Government Senior Secondary School, Subhri village, nine rooms in Government School, Chaugama in Indri and eight in Government Senior Secondary School, Kathlehri. In the remaining schools, one to five rooms are in a very poor condition, the survey report states.
Sources claim that some of the dilapidated rooms have been closed keeping in view the safety of students, but classes are being conducted in several others, posing a serious threat to students.
Admitting that 325 classrooms had been found unsafe, Additional Deputy Commissioner Anish Kumar Yadav said: “The process to declare these rooms condemned will begin in a few days after a meeting of the condemnation board. We will send a proposal to the headquarters to construct new rooms in place of these dilapidated rooms.”
