Every morning, more than 20 students of the Government primary school Laxmithota in Belagavi's Athani district, sit under a tree for their classes. A board hangs from the branches, to help them in their studies.
“The school building made of RCC has been completely damaged. We are waiting for a shed to be built to take these classes indoors. Students from Class one to three are being taught in the only room that is still a little stable,” said headmaster Girish. The school has been assured a new building but authorities are apprehensive about the time it will take.
The school is one among 300 across the state which has been left in ruins after floods with no hope of repair. While rains continue to batter parts of the state, students are desperately looking for some relief to come back to school.
Darur, a village in Belagavi district, has a similar story. The Government High School here has been witnessing only 50 per cent attendance after the floods. “The Krishna river swelled again over the past two days and children have been living with their relatives. We are convincing them to come back,” said headmaster Janagouda, who is also awaiting textbooks for his students.
This monsoon, Shivamogga, Belagavi, and Chikkodi are the worst affected areas in Karnataka in terms of damage to school infrastructure. They have incurred losses of nearly Rs 9,663 lakh, Rs 5,800 lakh and Rs 6,400 lakh due to damage of primary and secondary schools and classrooms.
To deal with this issue, the department of public instruction has sought funds from the government for these schools. Around 7,144 schools have sustained damage. Speaking to TNIE, Commissioner of Public Instruction, K G Jagadeesh said that 30 per cent of these schools were completely damaged according to estimates. “The department has sent a proposal for the release of funds for them. Right now students are being accommodated in existing rooms or alternative buildings like community halls,” he said.
