The students and teaching and non-teaching staff of Sawaran Government High School in Karimnagar town are a worried lot as hundreds of caterpillars have been giving them sleepless nights. Swarms of caterpillars that cause itches if they come in contact with the body can be spotted at various parts of the school building. According to sources, most trees on the school premises are covered with these insects that frequently fall down from the branches, causing inconvenience to everyone.
While students are scared to come to school for attending offline classes, parents are worried about their health. It may be mentioned here that the school, which once had a total strength of 423, has been witnessing a gradual dip in headcount due to the lack of basic facilities. Scores of students took admission at private schools with better infrastructure.
As the government school is facing yet another issue, in the form of caterpillars, more and more parents are considering finding other institutes for their children. However, their hands are tied since schoolchildren have already lost a good number of academic days owing to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the imposition of back-to-back lockdowns.
Sources say that most parents, after sending their kids to school, visit the premises to make sure that they are safe. Parents have now pinned their hopes on school staffers to find a solution to the caterpillar menace. Despite being a lush green abode of trees and plants, poor maintenance is reportedly the reason behind the cloudburst of these insects. Many students, who reach the school all happy and healthy, leave the premises with blisters and rashes.
When Express interacted with a few school authorities, they said that issue would be brought to the notice of higher-ups soon. “Civic body officials would be requested to spray insecticide at various points, which is likely to bring down the number of insects,” said the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school.