BENGALURU: Students and staff at the 60-year-old Government Telugu High School in Tasker Town, Shivajinagar, have to suffer the foul smell of garbage and leachate that flows into the school campus almost every day.
This site has turned into a black spot in Shivajinagar, with two tipper vans and compactors that collect garbage being parked near the compound wall of the school.
Mansoor Ahmed, school headmaster, said, “The contractor who collects garbage has parked compactors and tipper vans right at the compound wall and gate of the school. Most days, leachate flows inside the school campus and is a health hazard, especially for young children. People also throw garbage into the vans and compactor, with some waste ending up inside the school campus. The waste even starts decomposing in the compactors itself. Our students fall sick due to infection.”
While government schools across the state are always in the news for poor infrastructure, this structure is a heritage building which is over 100 years old. Built with stone blocks, it has high walls and arched windows in ancient architecture style.
According to historians in the city, the building became popular as a jail among people in the neighbourhood as it was a place where women were kept away from men (zenana). Even today, it is popularly known as ‘jail school’. After the building was taken over by the government, it became a municipal office and was later turned into a school, with around 52 students on its rolls.
Ahmed added, “We had arguments with the contractor, and complained to various GBA and education department officials to prevent these vehicles from parking near the school. However, it hasn’t yielded any positive results and the stink continues.”
When TNIE contacted Block Education Officer Nasreen Taj, she clarified, “It has been three months since I took charge as BEO. The issue has come to my notice and as a department, we will make all efforts to coordinate with the GBA and move these compactors elsewhere. We will see that it is done soon.”