The Newz Radar
MANDI: Almost five months after the monsoon rain caused unprecedented devastation in Himachal Pradesh, there are several parts of the state where the residents have still been suffering. 
In Mandi, one of the worst-affected districts, there are many schools whose buildings were either washed away or have been extensively damaged. As a result, the schools continue to operate outdoors — in tents or through makeshift arrangements.
The Bagi Katoula Government Senior Secondary School in Drang, an Assembly constituency that once used to be represented by all-powerful Congress leader and former minister Kaul Singh Thakur, is one such institution that has been operating in tents for the past five months. The school’s building was completely destroyed during a flashflood. Its students now are subjected to vagaries of weather daily, making education a challenge for them amid biting cold.
Following the normalisation of conditions after the flashflood, the school management conducted online classes for about a month. Attempts to secure rented rooms in nearby villages were unsuccessful due to limited accommodation in people’s homes. Consequently, tents were acquired, and the decision to conduct school activities in them was made. During rainfall, the school has to be immediately closed, creating challenges for teachers and students.
Charan Singh Thakur, chairman of the Bagi Katoula School Management Committee, and local resident Hari Singh Thakur revealed that a private company had committed to constructing a fabricated structure for the school, but this commitment has not materialised, and that the company’s whereabouts were now not known. They have urged the government to promptly initiate the construction of the school building or construct a fabricated structure for running the school. They lamented, “The government and the education department should seriously consider these issues as the next four months are harsh, and classes cannot be conducted in tents during the winter season.”
When contacted, Director of Education in Mandi Amar Nath Rana said that a private company had promised to construct a fabricated structure, but backed out later. “We made several attempts to contact the company officials, but there has been no satisfactory response,” he said. The officials concerned in the government had been informed, and further action will would be taken based on directives from the Education Directorate in Shimla, he said.
