Rain exposes crumbling school buildings; safety audit under way in Hubballi

Hubballi: Continuous rainfall over the past four to five days has damaged classrooms in several government schools across the city, raising concerns over student safety. Officials said 170 classrooms in 97 schools had earlier been identified as damaged.

Of these, 83 classrooms are unfit for use, while 112 require minor repairs. Public works department (PWD) engineers have begun inspections to assess the extent of the damage.Many classrooms were already weakened by heavy rainfall in May, which was two to three times above normal. The recent spell of rain since July 3 has worsened the situation, leading to leaking roofs, damp walls and water seepage in several school buildings.Strong winds recently ripped off roof sheets from a government school building in Bandiwad minutes after classes ended. More than 200 students had already left the premises, averting a potential mishap.Sayedali B, a member of the school development and monitoring committee, said engineers found three classrooms unsafe for use after portions of the roof structure were damaged. The rooms will be demolished and rebuilt to ensure children’s safety.

While the government has sanctioned three classrooms, three more will be constructed with donor support. Construction work is expected to begin soon.Teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials had surveyed damaged classrooms months ago but repair work was yet to start. They warned that delays could disrupt learning and pose risks to students during the monsoon.H.N. Fadneshi, block education officer, Hubballi City, told TOI: “Earlier, we identified damaged classrooms across the city.

Engineers are currently inspecting schools. In view of children’s safety, PWD engineers have been assigned to inspect 67 schools. Around 80% of the inspections have been completed, and the remaining schools will be covered shortly. We will then finalise the list of classrooms requiring repairs.

”He said 187 classrooms were earlier identified as damaged, of which 87 were deemed unfit for use. Funds have been sanctioned for repairs and reconstruction of 40 classrooms, and work will begin soon.Ashok Sajjan, former state president of the Karnataka Govt Rural Primary School Teachers Association, said the Bandiwad incident should serve as a warning. “Children’s safety must be the top priority. The education department, headmasters and school development committees should press elected representatives to expedite repair works. With the monsoon intensifying, schools must ensure students are not exposed to danger,” he said.