CHENNAI: Latha manoeuvres her two-wheeler carefully on the gravel-filled road as her child grips on to her tightly. This is the scene every day as she goes to drop him at a private school in Kazhipattur near Navalur. The road hasn’t been relaid for more than eight years now. Parents complain that uneven terrain of the road filled with potholes makes it dangerous for students to commute to school.
Gateway International School has more than 1,000 students studying in both CBSE and International boards. During recent rains, the road was filled with puddles. On other days, it is filled with dust and loose stones. Because of this, parents of students who come by walk and by cycle have been worried about their safety.
Complaints go unheard
“The school has hiked their fee by Rs 10,000 this year. They levy capitation fee too. But a basic amenity like good roads is not provided. There are many gated communities nearby from which close to 50 children walk to school. It is dangerous for people coming by two-wheelers too,” said a parent on the condition of anonymity.
Parents also said that this has been an ongoing problem for several years as numerous complaints regarding the poor condition of the road has been ignored by the school management. “For the past three years I have brought up this issue in every parent-teacher meeting. But, we haven’t got a solution or a straight forward answer from the school,” said another parent.A year ago, a board was set up by the management saying that the road was a private one and that it belonged to the school. A month ago, they constructed a wall on the other side of the road to cordon it off from the public. This allegedly led to problems between the management and locals.
School promises remedy
When Express contacted the management, Rama Srinivas, principal of the school, said that the road will be relaid with concrete soon. “We are not able to start the relaying process as the school is functioning now. We need at least 8-10 days when the school is closed to complete this work. We weren’t able to do this earlier due to some legal hurdles. But we will soon provide a remedy,” she said.
The block development officer of Thiruporur block under which the school falls confirmed that the road belongs to the school and has not been given to the Muttukadu Panchayat. “The Panchayat doesn’t have enough funds to maintain roads like how private enterprises will. If they lay a concrete road, it will last for the next 20 years. As there is an internal issue between the school and a nearby residential layout, the wall is built,” he added.
Futile measures
A year ago, a board was set up by the management saying that the road belonged to the school. A month ago, they constructed a wall on the other side of the road to cordon it off from the public. This allegedly led to problems between the management and locals.