Fix wall of JNV Valpoi school facing wildlife risk, HC tells Centre

Panaji: The high court on Thursday directed govt to repair and restore the compound wall of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a school located within the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary at Valpoi, into which wild animals have often ventured.The division bench of the HC directed the mamlatdar to supervise the work to ensure no additional structure is constructed besides the compound wall. Parents of the school’s students went to the HC stating that in the absence of a compound wall, wild animals including leopards, bison, foxes, and wild boar enter the school complex.The compound wall was constructed around 25 years ago and has collapsed, they said. Their lawyer, S N Joshi, told the court that they saw the movement of a tiger in the vicinity of the school complex.The parents said that students and teachers cannot walk within the complex without an element of risk. The school’s area comprises mountains, a forest, and a river.The parents also told the court that wild animals have damaged school vehicles and equipment in the residential school complex, which accommodates 424 students and more than 50 teaching and non-teaching staff.They added that the students are kept occupied throughout the week with all-round training in academics, sports, cultural activities, and various forms of art.

On another front, the parents said, the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti is reluctant to tender infrastructure works due to pending litigation on the ownership of land. The scope of works includes the construction of a multipurpose hall, an additional dormitory for girls, roads, a sewage treatment plant, and a storm water drain.