KRISHNAGIRI: A total of 27 students of the Panchayat Union Primary School (PUPS) in Kovalli village near Urigam boycotted classes with a demand to demolish a decades-old overhead tank that is posing a threat to them.
There are 27 students studying in a PUPS at Kovalli village in Urigam panchayat. A 30,000-litre overhead tank is located near the school building. The tank, constructed two decades ago, is dilapidated and cement shards have started to fall on the ground. Parents urged the district administration to demolish the tank to protect students’ lives and staged a boycott.
B Venkatachala Moorthy (32) a resident of Kovalli village, told TNIE, “Our people petitioned the district administration and school education department about the issue multiple times but to no effect. I spoke with the Krishnagiri Collector KM Sarayu on Monday evening, who assured to send an official to check the issue.
On Thursday evening, Thalli Block Development Officer (BDO) N Srinivasamoorthy visited the school and assured to demolish the tank in three days.” Moorthy’s children study in the same school.
The BDO told TNIE that the tank would be demolished in a week, and until then, students will have to shift to an alternate location for safety. Steps will be taken to temporarily supply households with water through small tanks and pipe connections as the overhead tank caters to 130 households in the village, he added.
When cintacted, Chief Education Officer (in-charge) A Muniraj said the collector assured to demolish the tank and take steps to arrange an alternative space to conduct classes.