49 school buildings flagged unsafe in Ludhiana

Deputy commissioner Sakshi Sahwney reviewed these school buildings along with that of School of Eminence, Baddowal, where a roof collapse incident last year took life of a teacher, leaving three others seriously injured

Ludhiana As many as nine primary and 40 middle, high and senior secondary school buildings have been declared unsafe by the education department, after the deputy commissioner (DC) Sakshi Sahwney, reviewed these school buildings along with that of School of Eminence, Baddowal, where a roof collapse incident last year took life of a teacher, leaving three others seriously injured.

Government Multipurpose School is in the list of unsafe schools in Ludhiana. (HT Photo)

Primary schools, the portions of whose buildings have been declared unsafe include the schools of Bhaini Rora, Narangwal, Dhandari Kalan, Kasabad, Sarabha, Kakowal, Nizampur, Haibowal Kalan and Baddowal. Among the high schools, are the schools of Jaspal Bangar, Salodi, Cheema Khanna, Atiana, Lakkar Bazar, Nagra, Housing Board Colony, Phullawal, Chhjjawal, Dewatwal, Heeran, Lapra, Paddi, Rajgarh, Gujjerwal, Uppal, along with only one middle school of Millerganj Dholewal.

Among the senior secondary schools are the schools of Uksi, Samrala Boys, Division No III, Jawahar Nagar Boys, Kadiana Kalan, Koom Kalan, Siyar, Multipurpose, Haibowal Khurd, Sarabha, Halwara, Dhanansu, Shahpur, BM Raikot, Bassian, Umedpur Tibba, Dehlon, Lamma Jatpura, Butahri, Sihora, Sahnewal Boys, Mullapurmandi and Rasulra.

District education officer (Secondary) Harjinder Singh said the school heads submitted the number of rooms unsafe in their respective buildings via google forms after which a committee was constituted who inspected the same and then, a few portions of these many buildings were declared unsafe.

Former principal of GSSS Shahpur, Davinder Singh Chhina, said four rooms, one generator room and verandah in the school are unsafe at present. “A few months back, a team led by Rajinder Kaur, principal of GSSS Bilaspur, evaluated and found these many rooms unsafe but this initiative of the state government is laudable and is necessary to make our school buildings resistant to tremors,” he added.

Sukhjeet Singh, clerk of Shahpur School, mentioned that the students are not using the unsafe rooms during monsoons.

Commenting on the further course of action, Sawhney said, “There is an SOP and DEO has been asked to take steps as per that but the students are not using the unsafe classrooms.”