Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A total of 27,579 primary and secondary school buildings in the state require major repairs, and 25,100 need minor repairs out of the 82,935 total schools in the state, according to official data from UDISE.
The recent collapse of a school building in Sagar has finally prompted the government and administration to address the poor conditions of schools. The monsoon season will likely pass before any significant repairs are completed, leaving students and teachers to cope with unsafe conditions yet again.
In Bhopal district alone, there are 724 primary and secondary schools, with 296 needing major repairs and 290 requiring minor repairs. In some schools the buildings have already started to crumble, forcing children to make alternative arrangements for seating. Schools in dire condition include the Government Primary School in Shahjahanabad, the Government Girls School in Fategarh, and the Government Jahangiria Higher Secondary School in Ibrahimpura, among others.
Dilapidated building list sought
Officials of the school education department said that they have now requested a list of dilapidated school buildings from all district project coordinators, including those in Bhopal. The department has instructed headmasters to ensure children are not made to sit in unsafe, waterlogged classrooms. After inspections, officers have written to the Municipal Corporation to expedite the repairs of these school buildings.
RES, BMC engineers made nodal officer for repair of school buildings
Rural Engineering Services (RES) executive engineer and Bhopal Municipal Corporation regional assistant engineer have been appointed nodal officers for repair of dilapidated school buildings in rural and urban areas.
Bhopal collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh, after wall collapse incidents in rainy season, had ordered for repair and renovation of dilapidated school buildings in urban and rural areas. The municipal commissioner has been asked to ensure repair in urban areas.
