School building swept away, children studying in open amid freezing cold in Himachal ex-CM Jai Ram’s constituency
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The Newz Radar
MANDI: The students of Government Senior Secondary School at Kholanal in Seraj Assembly segment of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh have been compelled to pursue education under the open sky amid harsh cold as the school’s building was swept away in devastating flashfloods that struck the valley on August 23.
While the school management secured some rooms in a nearby village for the primary wing, no arrangements could be made for the senior secondary branch as most of the houses in the village too were affected by the flashfloods.
The senior secondary school is presently functioning in an incomplete building of the primary health centre with classes conducted outdoors. The parents of children have expressed strong displeasure over the government’s failure to make adequate arrangements for the children, demanding the immediate construction of a new building and interim arrangements for improvement.
Local resident Om Chand alleged that more than three months had passed, but the district administration had not made supplementary arrangements for the classes of children, who were now studying in the open in freezing cold. Another resident, Bhup Singh, lamented that as the weather conditions worsened, it would become challenging for their children to attend school. He criticised the education department for not taking steps toward the construction of a new building, stating, “Our kids suffer a lot, especially during bad weather. They become disturbed and distracted during classes.”
Teachers echoed similar concerns, noting a decrease in enrollment due to the poor condition of the school. Principal Surendra Kumar Sharma said the school was operating under adverse conditions after its building was completely damaged during the flashfloods. He said despite informing the authorities concerned, no remedial measures had been initiated so far.
