Nearly 2,200 schools affected by floods

The Education Department in its preliminary survey has found that nearly 2200 primary, elementary and senior secondary schools have been affected by the floods.

A senior government functionary said though the floodwater was receding, some schools were still inundated. It would take some time before the exact figure of the completely damaged schools or those needing structural strengthening was arrived at, he said. Around 300 schools in Patiala, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur district have been closed for the next two days.

Education Minister Harjot Bains has already instructed the District Education Officers concerned to ensure safety of the students and report the damage, if any, to the school buildings to the Deputy Commissioners and the Public Works Department.

“As teachers had joined duties on September 8, a report on daily basis was being sought from all districts. It might take a while to resume classes in some of the schools in worst-affected parts of Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Amritsar due to the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi rivers,” said the functionary.