Gensets available, yet students in 156 govt schools sweat it out

Ravinder Saini

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Jhajjar, April 30

As many as 156 government schools in the district have generator sets — which can be used during unscheduled power cuts in the summer — but these are lying idle due to lack of maintenance or funds for diesel.

The schools where an RO system for clean potable water has been installed are worse off as the RO system does not work without electricity. Students have to wait for power supply to get water to drink.

Sources said the generator sets were provided by the headquarters to all government schools across the state some years ago so that those can be used in the case of power cut but later, these could not be utilised due to lack of maintenance.

“At present, in a majority of government schools in the state, these generator sets are non-functional. Their batteries are dead. A generator set is lying unused in our school. Initially, funds were allotted to buy diesel and to get its servicing done every year but the arrangement did not survive for long,” said a government teacher on the condition of anonymity.

Another teacher said power cuts were being imposed daily but the schools did not have any option for electricity, forcing the students to study in hot weather conditions.

The situation is worse in rural areas where the duration of power cuts is almost double compared to urban areas. “Electricity is required most at the peak of summer. Hence, the government should install solar panels in schools,” he suggested.

Meanwhile, the district administration has come forward to make these generator sets usable by getting their batteries changed and servicing done. It has approached corporate houses to bear the expenses.

“Some industrial houses are ready to make generator sets functional through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund. We are also making all efforts to get all gensets rectified,” said Capt Shakti Singh, DC.