74-Year-Old Govt School in Dhenkanal Remains Waterlogged During Monsoon

With each spell of rain, the Police Line Government Upper Primary School in the heart of Dhenkanal town turns into a water-logged zone, severely hampering education for its students.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The Odisha government has decided to develop a digital platform to enable real-time monitoring of the mega Piped Water Supply projects and set up Project Management Units at the district level for oversight.

Decisions to this effect were taken at a meeting chaired by Development Commissioner Anu Garg to review the progress of piped water supply projects. Senior officers, engineers and representatives of the NHAI were present.

Established in 1952, the 74-year-old school operates in a dilapidated asbestos-roofed building, which leaks during rains and floods classrooms and verandahs, disrupting classes and putting the safety of students and staff at risk.

Located just 100 metres from the District Collectorate and behind the Superintendent of Police's office, the condition of the school stands in stark contrast to its prime location.

Successive government education schemes such as DPEP, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan have failed to bring meaningful infrastructural improvement to the school.

There is an acute shortage of classrooms, with two classes often forced to share a single room. The existing asbestos-roofed structure accommodates students of five different classes, with rainwater seeping through the damaged roof and accumulating in classrooms, making learning conditions deplorable.