Karnataka: Drought won’t affect school, PU colleges, reopening date

Despite the prevailing drought situation in the state, Education Department has assured people that schools and PU colleges will reopen and function as per the schedule.

BENGALURU: Despite the prevailing drought situation in the state, Education Department has assured people that schools and PU colleges will reopen and function as per the schedule.

While PU II colleges reopened on May 20, PU I colleges will reopen in June first week and government schools on May 29. Principals of various educational institutions in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have requested the department to defer the date of reopening of PU colleges.

However, what comes as a relief to these institutes now is the decision of the department to alleviate the water woes. “The district administration has been told to supply water, wherever required, in schools and colleges. Institutes who request the district administration will get water supply,” Primary and Secondary Education Department principal secretary SR Umashankar told the TNIE.

“Water may be supplied after sinking borewells, providing water lines in case there are none or tankers. The issue was discussed in an internal meeting of the department. The intensity of the problem will vary in various institutions and they will be catered to accordingly. DCs, tahsildars and ZP CEOs will ensure water supply and will function as per the disaster management guidelines,” he said.

According to Block Education Officers, the midday meal programme for children from Classes 1 to 10 did not suffer from drought this year, as schools either had open wells, a borewell, or local water supply.