Around 50 students and teachers of Model School at Pylon, near Nagarjunasagar project can still recollect the near-miss accident that could have caused many deaths. “It is still fresh in our memory. Luckily, the lunch bell rang a few minutes late that day,” Saidulu Reddy, a teacher said.
In August 2016, a time when the State was celebrating Krishna Pushkaralu, a live high-tension wire that passes through the school premises snapped and fell from the poles. It could have turned into a tragedy. “We were about to leave our classrooms to sit for lunch or play in the open. We saw blue sparks when the cut wires hit the toilet doors,” the students recalled.
Situated along the secured border of the Nagarjunasagar project, the school established in 1969 under the Telangana Pedda Manushula Oppandam (Gentlemen’s agreement) was a six-room facility for children of workers in the project then. After receiving contribution from an alumnus, Sri Vemuru Abhirameswara Rao Government Model High School was constructed with seven rooms, adjacent to the older one. The school has been recording consistent figures in academic progress. With ten teachers and about 400 students last year, it yielded a 99% pass record for a strength of 65 students in class 10.
On being asked about the live wire threat, Assistant Engineer under this electricity section M. Uday Kumar said the whole conductor was replaced after that event and there would be no future risk. However, teachers at the school are suspicious that strong winds, or the season ahead could prove otherwise. “We don’t know. There is still a ‘binding’ or a joint sort of a thing in the wire above the toilets. Why not remove the wires entirely from the premises. Is it not a danger anytime?,” they asked.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Uday Kumar said shifting the line outside would interfere with the one already present along the road. “It would take three more months till the wires are made neutral or the line removed completely, a sub-station coming up at Hill Colony would solve this.”
Students also complain that they find broken bottles and vulgar graffiti on the walls every Monday when they come back, only to clear the mess and wash the walls. “I was beaten up once at duty trying to stop such youths. This is an adda for many as there is no compound wall,” watchman Jangaiah said.
Responding to questions on the pending clearances, Mandal Educational Officer B. Prabhakar Rao said, “All requests were already made and sanctions are likely to be released this week.”
