Classes back on track: Gushaini school finds new home after monsoon havoc

A massive landslide in the scenic but disaster-prone Tirthan Valley of Banjar subdivision in Kullu district had destroyed a major part of the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Gushaini, during monsoon this year, disrupting the education of over 550 students. Triggered by heavy rainfall, the landslide sent trees, rocks and debris crashing down from the nearby Koshunali Bandal village hills, completely collapsing one of the school’s main buildings and rendering the rest of the campus unsafe for academic activities.

The damage, which occurred during this year’s monsoon, had already interrupted studies for weeks. Today, the situation took a positive turn as permission was finally granted to relocate students to a safer facility. According to Shiva Gautam, president of the School Management Committee (SMC) of GSSS-Gushaini, classes will now resume in a private building in nearby Badidropa village.

The owner of this private building Mahender Singh Chauhan, vice-pradhan of Kandidhar panchayat, has given this building for the use of students free of cost. This act of humanity was widely appreciated by the area residents especially school management committee and parents of students.Senior students from classes 9 to 12 will attend classes on the ground floor of this new location, while primary classes will continue at the Gushaini Primary School building.

Banjar SDM Pankaj Sharma yesterday visited the affected school and met with SMC members, panchayat representatives, teachers and local residents. He assured the community that the administration is committed to ensuring uninterrupted learning for all students. SDM Sharma directed staff to begin regular offline classes immediately and to hold extra sessions on holidays for Science stream students to make up for lost academic time. Temporary arrangements have been put in place with immediate effect.

The School Management Committee, which had previously flagged concerns over the school’s deteriorating infrastructure, has submitted a proposal for the construction of a new school building at a safer location. Formal damage reports and reconstruction requests have already been sent to relevant departments.

In a show of solidarity, Sundernagar-based Krayash Charitable Trust donated essential educational and logistical materials. These included 200 mattresses, one printer, 38 books, two water filters, six blackboards, five chalk boxes, six dusters and 20 raincoats. The Trust also conducted sessions on exam preparation, hygiene, drug prevention and reading habits. Trust founder Dharmesh Sharma reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting youth and education in disaster-affected regions.

The swift response from local administration and civil society offers a glimmer of hope to the affected students and families, but the incident underscores the urgent need for long-term investment in resilient infrastructure for remote and vulnerable regions like Tirthan Valley.