Study hampered as floods ruin infra of Baupur Jadid school

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, September 19

The Government Middle and High School in Baupur Jadid, Sultanpur Lodhi, is grappling with several difficulties in conducting classes as floods have ruined the school infrastructure.

Unsafe buildings

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My son is a Class X student. This year, he would be appearing in the board exams. How can he concentrate on his studies when both his home and school buildings are unsafe and riddled with cracks.

Gurpreet Kaur, parent

Until last week, teachers used the village gurdwara premises for conducting classes due to extensive damage by floods to the school. Presently, the situation has reached a point where students of two or three classes are crammed into a single classroom in a desperate attempt to accommodate all of them.

The Baupur Jadid school premises has two buildings, one designated for the primary wing and the other for the higher classes. Both these buildings are submerged in floodwaters. In particular, the floors of two primary school classrooms have developed cracks, rendering them completely unusable. Besides, essential infrastructure such as benches and cupboards were swept away in the deluge.

Sources in the school have revealed that for the past three weeks, classes had been held in the gurdwara hall. Moreover, students are ferried to school via boats as a significant portion of the village remains inundated due to a breach in the advance bundh along nearby Rampur Gaura village.

Despite Herculean efforts and sacrifices by teachers, no government aid has been forthcoming, nor has repair work commenced.

“It was teachers themselves who, along with hired labourers, painstakingly removed silt from school premises and arranged essential infrastructure,” said a teacher.

Expressing concern about the situation, Kamlesh Singh, a parent from Baupur Jadid village, remarked, “It’s perplexing that despite being fully aware of the ground reality, the Education Department has failed to provide assistance or initiate repairs of the school buildings. What if the floor gives way or the roof collapses? Who will be held responsible for that?”

“Many residents are still hesitant to send their children to school due to unsafe buildings. They fear that the structures may be unstable and pose a risk to their children,” he said.