62 govt schools in Gurugram run from unsafe buildings: Report

Education department says repeated requests to PWD since 2025 have gone unanswered as teachers warn of serious safety risks.

At least 62 government schools across Gurugram, Farrukhnagar, Sohna and Pataudi are continuing to operate from buildings and classrooms in a dilapidated state with unsafe structures, forcing students and teachers to use ageing infrastructure despite safety concerns, Haryana education department officials said.

Officials said unsafe classrooms need urgent repairs or demolition, while new buildings are planned only after old structures are cleared. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

HT accessed the list of affected schools, which includes primary, middle and secondary government institutions. It identifies at least 34 schools in Gurugram, 16 in Farrukhnagar, five in Sohna and seven in Pataudi where classrooms, corridors or kitchens are in poor condition and require urgent repairs or attention from civic agencies.

Among the worst-affected institutions, all buildings of Government Girls Primary School in Sukhrali, Government Middle School in Samaspur, Government Girls Primary School in Sohna and Government Senior Secondary School in Daulatabad have been identified by the education department as being in a dilapidated condition.

A damaged classroom ceiling at a government school in Sukhrali near Sector 17C, seen on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

District education authorities said the list of unsafe school buildings was sent to the Public Works Department (PWD) in August 2025, but no action has been taken so far. Officials said the civic agency responsible for assessing the structural safety of buildings has not initiated any measures despite repeated communication from the department. They added that multiple reminders, including several letters sent in July, urged the PWD to demolish unsafe structures.

A crumbling washroom at a government school in Sukhrali near Sector 17C, seen on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Ashok Prajapati, president of the District Primary Teachers Association, Gurugram, said several government schools require urgent repairs, and teachers as well as principals have repeatedly flagged the issue. “The condition of these buildings poses a serious safety risk to both students and teachers. We have been raising the issue with the authorities, but repairs and demolition of unsafe structures are yet to be carried out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Balvinder Singh, primary head of Government Primary School in Sohna, said the school has 45 students and only two classrooms, both in poor condition. “It is extremely unsafe. The walls are deteriorating, and it appears that the roof could collapse at any time,” he said.

A government school teacher, requesting anonymity, said, “We have been raising this concern for a long time, but no action has been taken so far.”

Indu Boken, district education officer (DEO), Gurugram, said the department has again reminded the PWD about schools with unsafe structures requiring demolition. “We have also asked the PWD to take necessary action at the earliest,” she said.

Charandeep Rana, PWD executive engineer, said the team will examine the list and take action accordingly. He declined to comment further.

Haryana education department officials said contingency measures are being worked out on a case-by-case basis. In some schools, new classrooms are already being constructed, while in others, construction will commence after the unsafe buildings are demolished.