NEW DELHI: Amidst mounting concerns over the safety and security of children and staff in schools in light of the Rajinder Nagar incident, the Directorate of Education has issued directives for all government and private schools to ensure that the school’s basement is used for only permissible activities.
“The basements, if any in school buildings, shall be used only for permissible activities as per provisions of the Master Plan and as per the sanctioned plan,” read the notification.
It comes a day after the All India Parents Association (AIPA) wrote to the L-G VK Saxena, claiming that the schools in the national capital are equally unsafe. The AIPA demanded that L-G direct authorities to take remedial measures to ensure the safety of students in schools.
The notification also stated that all school buildings’ gates should be functional. “The access to the basement shall be properly marked and clearly indicated in the school evacuation plan; all the corridors shall be free from obstructions at all times and smooth passage shall be ensured; the school corridors and staircases shall be regularly checked for water accumulation and requisite necessary action shall be taken,” it said.
It also directed the schools to regularly check the electrical wirings and fittings and ensure requisite fire safety measures were in place.
Three civil services aspirants—Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Kerala—drowned in the basement of RAU’s IAS coaching institute building in Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27.