Crumbling school infrastructure threatens lives of students, staff in Kupwara’s Rajwar

Kupwara, May 25: The crumbling buildings in the form of cracked walls at the Government Upper Primary School (UPS) Dardhaji in Rajwar area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district are putting the lives of hundreds of students and staff members in extreme danger.

Two main buildings of the school have developed huge cracks, causing fears imminent collapse. According to the residents, their appeals of new infrastructure for the school have been continuously ignored by the concerned department much to their disappointment.

"The school which is operational in the damaged buildings can anytime collapse given the present condition. It can lead to disaster if it continues to be operational in the same buildings," said a distressed father of a student.

"The school is functioning in the available six rooms despite the life threatening risk. Of six rooms, only four are being used for teaching while other two are used for administrative purposes. The limited space coupled with the life-threatening condition of the building has made the school environment more dangerous for the students and staff members," said another parent.

"Our children are forced to study in these buildings because of non-availability of a new building. We always remain apprehensive about the well-being of children and teachers. The students are studying under the shadow of death. Both the buildings can collapse anytime which can result in fatalities," a local youth activist told Greater Kashmir.

The students are also suffering due to lack of adequate accommodation. The buildings are too risky to use but still we are taking classes putting our and student's lives at risk. Immediate steps have to be taken for the sake of hundreds of lives," said a teacher on the condition of anonymity.

Former Sarpanch of the area, Farooq Ahmad Cheechi told Greater Kashmir that the buildings have developed cracks in 2014, following which the matter was brought into the notice of concerned department time and again but to no avail.

"Government had alloted Rs 22 lakh to this school from Tribal Sub Plan for smart classes but the said amount was diverted to some other school due to the damaged school buildings at UPS Dardhaji," he added. "When Greater Kashmir two years back highlighted this issue, the department at that time made makeshift arrangements in the form of tents and started conducting classes in them but after few months, the tents were uninstalled leaving the students in agony and despair," Ahmad said.

Even the students studying in this school are now reluctant to continue their studies at this school. "We always remain concerned about our lives. The tall claims of improved infrastructure at government schools in rural areas falls flat at our school," said a female student.

When contacted, Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Rajwar, Shabir Ahmad Badhana said that the department has approached locals several times to get alternative land for the school so that new buildings can be constructed for the school. "As of now we have not land available in the area but we are on it, hopefully something concrete will materialize in this regard soon. On being asked why department was yearning to construct infrastructure at other place, he said that the land where present infrastructure has been constructed was caving in so we don't want to take any risk further.