An NDMC worker sprays water on trees at Maulana Azad Road, Friday. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
Rising pollution levels because of the duststorm and the increasing heatwave have forced the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to stop the Buniyaad classes — meant to improve learning levels among children, who are weaker in studies, in MCD schools. The South corporation is likely to take the same decision on Monday, sources said.
“We will hold a meeting with seniors on Monday where we will demand that Buniyaad classes be discontinued due to pollution and dust as the children should stay indoors in such conditions,” said a South corporation official.
The North, East and South civic bodies had started Buniyaad classes to improve learning, reading and writing ability among students. Classes, scheduled during summer holidays, started on May 11 and were to continue till June 30. As reported by The Indian Express, the classes have seen lower attendance than expected. The attendance had seen a further dip this month, and that too could be a contributing factor to North MCD’s decision, sources said.
Director, education department, North DMC, Hemant Kumar Hem, Friday issued a notification that read, “Due to the prevailing heat wave and increasing pollution, the North corporation has decided to close the schools. The decision was taken keeping the children’s health in mind.”
Classes will resume on July 2 and a report will be readied by July-end by the corporation to examine the improvement in learning levels among students, it added. A senior official of the civic body said the corporations had also got a letter from the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights in which they had raised concerns over the heatwave.
The East corporation had earlier closed the scheme in the first week of June due to the intense heatwave. A senior official of the East body said, “Due to the intense heatwave, we decided in advance that we will close the mission in the first week.”
According to indicative data provided by the three corporations for May, about 53% of the students were present in South corporation schools; 48% attended classes in the North; and around 50% in the East. Sources said the figure had further declined in the month of June.