Damaged school is a risk for kids in Davanagere

DAVANAGERE: The dilapidated building housing a 50-year-old government higher primary school in Anaberu village in Davanagere district has left parents concerned about the safety of their children studying there.
The school, which has a strength of 181 students from classes 1-7, also has nine teachers. The red tiles on the roof were damaged during heavy showers in the district, resulting in seepage. Furthermore, the walls of the classrooms have turned damp, with cracks appearing at various places.
Anaberu gram panchayat member, GM Anil Kumar, said that four of the seven classrooms in the building were severely damaged following incessant rainfall in the past few months. "The two classrooms constructed for the Nali-Kali initiative are damaged as well. When it rains heavily, rainwater floods these rooms. In a place where their safety is not guaranteed, how can children be expected to learn?" Kumar asked.
Meanwhile, villagers lashed out at the district administration and the elected representatives for not taking cognisance of the perilous state of the structure.
N Linganna, the MLA for Mayakonda under the jurisdiction of which falls Anaberu, has assured the villagers of securing grants from the government to repair the building.
Davanagere taluk deputy tahsildar Ramaswamy, who took stock of the condition of the school during a recent visit, said that he would submit a detailed report on its condition to the higher authorities and appeal to them to ensure swift disbursal of funds.
Meanwhile, members of the school betterment committee expressed helplessness at being unable to respond to complaints from parents and the staff. They rued that the authorities were not responding to their pleas to initiate renovation of the building.