Dilapidated Ranipet school buildings razed

RANIPET: Elementary and middle schools under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and higher and higher secondary schools controlled by the PWD in Ranipet received a fresh lease of life following the district administration knocking down old and dilapidated buildings and constructing new ones in their place, Collector D Baskara Pandian informed DT Next.

Elaborating, he said, “taking into consideration the safety of school students studying in government schools based on the TN government order to demolish old buildings of 20 years and more, a total of 170 buildings were identified through a field survey in the district’s seven panchayat unions.”

With the monsoon in full swing, timely demolition became crucial and hence 77 buildings were chosen to be demolished in the first phase. “Of these 39 have been demolished with another 38 demolitions underway. The remaining 93 buildings would be demolished within a week’s time” the Collector said.

Asked if such demolitions would lead to space paucity to seat students, specially in the lower classes, Baskara Pandian said, “most buildings we demolished were dilapidated and hence were not in use. Even otherwise, most schools had extra rooms where classes could be accommodated.”

On schools where extra classroom facility was not available, he said, “We identified 17 schools which lacked space to seat students and hence they were accommodated in nearby government buildings or in private rented premises.”

“This will be a short term measure as construction of new buildings with funds from the district panchayats were on simultaneously,” he averred and added that of the 118 high and higher secondary school buildings identified, 116 were demolished. “The remaining 2 buildings would be demolished within this week,” the Collector added.

Collector Baskara Pandian also ordered PU engineers to ensure that building roofs had a slight slant to allow rainwater to flow down. “In many schools rain water stagnating on the roofs was the reason why the roofs corroded soon,” he noted.