A mound of garbage surrounds the building, while puddles of water bear testimony to the previous day’s heavy spell of rain. Even as teachers and students mop up the remnants of dirt, there is apprehension at the sight of an overcast sky.
On Wednesday and Thursday, sewage water, garbage bags and refuse from the market and main roads made their way onto the premises of Munnur Government Higher Primary School at Kuthar.
Teachers said nearly 209 students who study there had to wade through the water after their classes.
“The rainwater has dragged in the garbage that has been dumped in an open space near our school. Even as children were wading through it towards the main road, we were scared of the kind of skin diseases they may pick up,” said a teacher there on condition of anonymity, adding that many children had complained of nausea because of the overpowering stench.
On Friday, teachers were seen shouting at children prancing in the puddles, and instructing them to wear slippers and sandals when going through the ground.
Notice issuedIsmail, president of the School Development Monitoring Committee, who is also a member of the Munnur Gram Panchayat, said a notice had been issued to an apartment nearby not to let out their refuse into the storm water drains.
“The area around the school has become a sort of a dumping ground blocking the drains there. Because of the big apartment complexes in the area, the open drains are choked and water flows into the school,” he said.
Mr. Ismail said the GP would clean the drains in the coming days, and construct another one that would ensure that excess water does not flow into the school. “We have a Rs. 20-lakh project to set up a waste management centre. This will ensure the garbage dumped by the school is handled in a better manner,” he added.
