DEHRADUN: In a decisive move to safeguard students, the Uttarakhand government has ordered the immediate demolition of 78 severely dilapidated school buildings across Dehradun district that pose a significant risk to life.
The district administration has sought detailed reports on the current status of these hazardous structures within seven days to initiate the dismantling process.
The move follows stringent directives from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has emphasised that children’s safety is non negotiable.
District Magistrate Savin Bansal has sanctioned ₹1 crore for the demolition work. The swift action comes after an intensive 10 day survey conducted under the DM’s strict supervision, which produced reports on more than 100 unsafe school buildings.
“The Chief Minister has given clear instructions: any compromise with the lives of our young ones will not be tolerated,” DM Bansal said. “We have accelerated the identification, assessment and demolition process for all dilapidated and unusable school buildings.”
Administrative sources confirmed that alternative arrangements for students’ education have been put in place. This provisional system will remain in effect until new, safe school buildings are constructed on the sites of the demolished structures.
The Public Works Department has been tasked with preparing estimates for the complete and partial obsolescence of these hazardous buildings. The sanctioned ₹1 crore fund is intended to prevent any delay in demolition or in implementing necessary safety measures.
District records show that 78 schools have been declared entirely unfit for use, including 13 secondary schools and 66 primary schools.
Of these, alternative teaching arrangements have already been established for 63 schools. However, 16 schools are still awaiting the implementation of these alternate learning setups before demolition can proceed.
In addition, 17 buildings have been declared partially unsafe and require immediate repairs in accordance with safety standards. Only eight school buildings were assessed as requiring no demolition.
DM Bansal outlined the phased approach: “For schools where alternative teaching arrangements are not yet finalised, those arrangements will be secured first, followed by demolition. For partially unsafe buildings, necessary repairs in line with safety norms will be enforced.”