LUCKNOW: With incessant rains battering Uttar Pradesh for the last 72 hours, the state government issued clear directives to the Basic Education Department to do away with dilapidated school buildings, keeping the safety of students and teachers paramount.
With the state government having issued the directives, the Basic Education department swung into action to identify, verify and demolish unsafe infrastructure in council schools urgently.
The decision follows recent revelations about hazardous buildings in school campuses that posed risks to students' lives, serving a beating to the department’s image.
As per the senior officials of the Basic Education department is now working with a new focus on safety, accountability, and swift action.
Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh said that children’s safety was non-negotiable. He cautioned officials against any mishap warning them that if any incident of structural collapse or accident took place, the officer concerned would be held directly accountable and would face strict departmental action.
Based on reports received from various districts, the exercise of identification of unsafe structures has been underway. The list of such precariously poised school buildings is being submitted to the technical committee for verification and evaluation.
“District officials are responsible for ensuring that this process is completed within a set timeframe. Instructions have also been issued for prompt verification and reporting of previously identified structures,” said a senior Basic Education Department official.
He added that no academic activities would be permitted in buildings declared unsafe by the technical committee. Alternative teaching arrangements were being be made in safe classrooms, school buildings, panchayat bhawans, or village secretariats, he stated.
As per the guidelines issued, if any unsafe structure cannot be demolished immediately, it must be marked with warnings such as “Unusable” or “Entry Prohibited” on all four sides.
These buildings must also be completely sealed with masonry to prevent student access. According to Shyam Kishore Tiwari, Expert, Construction Unit, waterlogging, debris, and leaf accumulation on rooftops lead to seepage and building damage.
Hence, regular cleaning and water drainage on school rooftops will be ensured through local bodies like the municipal or village panchayats. Time-bound, effective, and concrete action is mandatory to address safety concerns, he added.