NAROWAL: The Government Girls Elementary School at Mardwal village, Shakargarh tehsil, has been submerged by sewage water for two years and the students are forced to walk through dirty and smelly water to reach classrooms and washrooms.

Students and teachers reach the classrooms through dirty and smelly water every day. About two-foot dirty water has accumulated on the premises of the girls school.

The students put their desks in the dirty water to go to the washrooms. Students reach the washrooms after passing through the long line of desks.

Students Ambar Javed and Shazia Ahmed said there is a bad smell from the dirty water collected in the school. Bad smell makes it difficult to study. Shazia said poisonous insects and snakes often enter the classrooms.

Asia Aslam and Maaria Naseer said female students time and again slip and fall down while passing through the dirty water. The uniform and school bags of the students also get dirty. Maaria said there is no clean drinking water for students in the school and they bring potable water from their homes every day.

Locals Muhammad Ajmal and Ehsanullah said they have off and on complained to the education department and the Narowal district administration and they seem least concerned about the issue.

Ajmal claimed that dozens of girls have left the school due to dirty and smelly water. The school building is also affected due to sewage and rainwater.

An attempt was made to contact Chairman District Education Authority/Deputy Commissioner Narowal Syed Hasan Raza but no response was received.

Dozens of students have strongly protested against the apathy of the education department and the Marowal district administration.

Students and their parents have demanded that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz take immediate notice of the situation.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024