Rs 63-crore Uttar Pradesh school campus flooded, students wade through dirty water

Severe monsoon waterlogging has flooded the Rs 63-crore Atal Residential School, forcing students to wade between hostels and classrooms. Authorities say the campus has been temporarily closed as drainage failures continue to disrupt studies and raise safety concerns.

In Short

• The school has reportedly faced severe monsoon flooding every year since 2023
• Hostels, classrooms, roads and administrative blocks are submerged after heavy rainfall
• Health fears include infections, skin ailments and poisonous creatures in stagnant water

A Rs 63-crore Atal Residential School in a village of Uttar Pradesh's Basti has turned into a waterlogged campus, forcing students to wade through foul-smelling water to reach their classrooms and hostels.

The school, which began functioning in 2023 for children from poor and vulnerable families, has faced severe waterlogging every monsoon. Heavy rain submerges large parts of the campus, including the hostel, classrooms, roads and administrative buildings.

Three years after the school started functioning, no permanent solution to the drainage problem has been put in place, leaving students struggling to attend classes whenever heavy rain hits the area.

CAMPUS TURNS INTO A LAKE

Students living on the campus say there is virtually no dry route between the hostels and classrooms during periods of heavy rain. They have to walk through stagnant, dirty water to attend classes and move around the premises.

The prolonged waterlogging has also raised concerns over infections and skin ailments, besides the risk of poisonous creatures in the stagnant water.

The problem is reportedly linked to the school's location and inadequate drainage planning. The campus is built on relatively low-lying land, while overflowing water from nearby water channels enters the premises when heavy rainfall causes water levels to rise.

PRINCIPAL SAYS AUTHORITIES INFORMED

School principal Puran Chandra acknowledged the waterlogging problem and said senior officials and the agency responsible for the construction had been informed about it several times in writing.

Senior district officials have also inspected the campus following complaints, but the waterlogging problem remains unresolved.

SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STUDENTS

Labour department inspector Shyamsundar Shukla said the waterlogging was caused by excessive rainfall and that the district administration had directed the construction department to make immediate arrangements to address the situation.

He said the school had temporarily been closed in view of the children's safety. The official acknowledged that the problem was serious and was disrupting studies, adding that efforts were being made to find a solution at the earliest.

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