A member of the BMC Education Committee, Shivnath Darade, has written to the Assistant Municipal Commissioner about the pathetic state of a civic school in Dharavi that caters to nearly 7,000 students. The campus houses ten schools (different mediums) but flowing drains and overflowing garbage outside the school is posing a serious health hazard to students. Officials said they will inspect the vicinity of the school and take action accordingly.
Speaking about the plight of the school in the Dharavi transit camp area, Mr Darade, said during a recent inspection, he found the plight of the school structure and the area around it such that it was a disaster waiting to happen. “The plaster on the walls is peeling, wiring is exposed and damaged, ceilings are leaking, and toilets are a total mess. The school’s periphery is also in a mess. Drainage water has accumulated outside the school and garbage bins are overflowing,” he said, citing the report he submitted to the civic body. Mr Darade said the campus houses 10 schools including four Urdu medium primary schools, two English medium, one each (Marathi, Tamil and Telugu medium), and a secondary school. “Due to absence of schools in the area, the enrolment has been on the rise in these schools. All the schools function in one building and a tin shed erected beside the original structure and the conditions are deplorable,” he said.
Mr Darade said while the BMC was allotting crores for maintenance of their schools, nothing was done for this school campus. “Students have told me conditions have been deteriorating since 2013 and the structure has not seen any maintenance work. I have written to Ms Pallavui Darade, additional municipal commissioner (city), regarding the issue. Unless action is taken urgently, students could face a major health problem and are also at risk of getting hurt grievously,” he said.
