BADIN: More than 100 schools remained submerged here on Tuesday when education institutions all over the country resumed their academic session after lockdown implemented to contain the coronavirus.

The rains and breach of drains have wreaked havoc with hundreds of government and private schools in the district, causing trouble to thousands of students who have yet to begin attending classes of their new academic session.

Sources in the education department said government schools in various towns and villages of Badin district had reported accumulation of rain and floodwater on their premises for several weeks after the first monsoon cloudburst. The water could not be drained out due to bureaucratic hurdles.

The situation has put the future of thousands of students in danger.

The sources said the educational institutions were under the administrative control of the deputy commissioner, but there seemed no resources or will to drain out the accumulated rainwater.

The drains in the city or towns fall under the jurisdiction of the district administration and local government departments which made little effort to clean the affected schools in Pangrio, Tando Bago and Matli, the worst affected areas.

An elementary schoolteacher said the education office was going to start classes and drain out rainwater amid unsatisfactory sanitary conditions.

Some of the parents and villagers raised objections to opening of the schools in the given situation.

A villager, Abdul Hameed Soomro, said temporary lavatories without proper disposal for sewage would increase health hazards in the schools.

When this reporter contacted District Education Officer (DEO) elementary Mumtaz Notkani, he said there were 178 schools, including 70 high schools. He confirmed that more than 20 high and middle schools were under rain and floodwater.

Similarly DEO primary Aslam Pathan said that out of 2,931 primary schools, more than 50 schools’ premises were submerged.

Asked about observing the standard operating procedures by students as well the teachers, both the DEOs said that instructions had already been issued to them by the higher authorities, but no material ie masks sanitizer etc, had been provided to the schools of the district.

They said their offices had no funds to drain out rainwater from the schools, majority of them situated in rural areas.

The parents have demanded of the higher authorities to drain out rainwater from their villages and schools as early as possible in order to save future of their children.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2020