Cracked ceilings, flooded floors: Uttarakhand kids study in unsafe schools as repairs stall

(Image: TNN)

Children in Uttarakhand are being forced to attend classes in dangerously crumbling school buildings despite repeated government assurances and funds earmarked for repairs, reported The Times of India.

From Dehradun to Udham Singh Nagar, classrooms have cracked ceilings, leaky roofs, and flooded floors. In some places, wild animals enter school premises due to broken boundaries. Where classrooms have become uninhabitable, lessons are being held under tin sheds, in anganwadi centres, or even near highways and water tanks.

Parents are worried about the risk of accidents. Amit Verma, a resident of Chukkhuwala, told TOI: “The ceiling here has cracks. Each downpour weakens it further. We worry for our children’s safety.”

Despite the state government releasing Rs 20 crore for repairs, officials admit this is not enough. According to the education department, proposals for repairs have come from nearly 1,400 schools, but the estimated requirement is over Rs 72 crore.

Mukul Sati, Director of Secondary Education, said: “We’ve received proposals from nearly 1,400 schools. We are sending the remaining demand to the government. Repairing these schools and ensuring safety is a priority.”

Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat has announced that all pending repairs should be completed by March 2026. However, on the ground, conditions remain grim.

The scale of the problem is stark: In Udham Singh Nagar alone, 55 schools have been declared dilapidated. In the Kashipur block, nine schools have relocated their classes to anganwadi centres due to rain damage. At a primary school in Jaspur, three feet of water flooded classrooms, forcing children to wade through it.

According to TOI, poor educational infrastructure is one of the key factors driving migration from Uttarakhand’s hill regions. A recent report on migration listed the lack of basic facilities in schools as the second major reason why families leave their villages.

Adding to the crisis, continuous monsoon rains have prompted district administrations to temporarily shut schools in Almora, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, and Rudraprayag, further disrupting classes.