After children stranded in rain, admin sets new safety protocol

“My six year-old niece was stranded in her school bus for almost six hours

“My six year-old niece was stranded in her school bus for almost six hours. She and her classmates were anxious, crying and unsure of what to do,” said Ajay Pal on Tuesday, a day after a routine commute home turned into a nightmare for dozens of school-going children and their parents after several buses were stranded in severe waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall.

On Monday, at least 14 private school buses with schoolchildren from nursery to Class 12 were stranded for nearly five to six hours across Gurugram. (Hindustan Times)

“No one from the civic administration came forward to help them. The teachers and bus drivers were the ones who stayed with the children and took care of them throughout the ordeal,” added Pal, a resident of Tulip Ivory in sector 70.

In response, the Gurugram district administration on Tuesday issued a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the safe movement of school buses during the monsoon, including route status reports on days with adverse weather, real-time updates on waterlogging, a staff escort, and adequate drinking water, among others.

The decision was announced after an inter-departmental coordination meeting chaired by deputy commissioner Uttam Singh, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

DC Singh said that such coordinated mechanism involving traffic police, private and government schools and education department will ensure that the information reaches timely.

“The objective is to ensure that decisions regarding school bus movement and student dispersal are taken proactively. Further, even orange and red alerts from the IMD will be shared on these groups so that schools can take necessary actions,” he said.

On Monday, at least 14 private school buses with schoolchildren from nursery to Class 12 were stranded for nearly five to six hours across Gurugram. The situation was particularly dire at Subhash Chowk in sector 47 from where videos of around a dozen buses stuck in knee-deep water were being shared widely on social media.

According to locals over 300 students were stranded.

“Our niece usually reaches home by 2 pm,” said Pal. But on Monday, he had to pick up his niece from Subhash Chowk. “Around 5:30 pm, my brother and I reached the area. The water had risen to knee-level, and we had to carry the children on our shoulders through the water and take them to the cars.”

Rahul Khanna, a parent and resident of sector 67, “There was no help available from the civic administration. It was a horrifying experience not just for the students and parents, but for the teachers as well.”

Nitya Jha, mother of an eight-year-old, said that her daughter was left without food and water for almost seven hours. “She left the school at 1pm and reached back around 8pm,” she said.

The parents were unanimously appreciative of teachers and school staff. “They went out of their way to ensure the children were safe and comfortable despite the difficult conditions,” said Jha.

“The bus drivers stayed in constant touch with the parents and kept them updated,” added Pal.

Traffic police to prioritise school buses

According to an order from the DC, a comprehensive protocol has been set for days that see intense rainfall like Monday. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sonu Bhatt has been assigned overall monitoring responsibility and will conduct joint reviews every Friday with the traffic police, education department, GMDA, Haryana Roadways and MCG.

Starting immediately, Gurugram Traffic Police will provide schools with real-time updates on waterlogging along school routes. On days of heavy rain or weather warnings, status reports will be issued at 5.30 am, 10.30 am and 12.30 pm. In cases of intense rainfall or sudden blockage of a route, a flash update will have to be issued within 30 minutes.

The deputy commissioner of police (traffic) has been asked to deploy personnel at vulnerable points along school bus routes, along with tow trucks and PCR units wherever required. School buses will receive priority movement during peak dispersal periods between 7-9 am and 12-3 pm.

During heavy rain or weather alerts, additional Haryana Roadways buses will be kept ready at designated locations. These will be used to evacuate students from school buses that are stranded or break down in waterlogged areas.

Haryana Roadways has been asked to identify additional buses and drivers and submit details of their numbers and standby locations within 48 hours.

Dedicated communication channels

The district education officer and district elementary education officer have been directed to establish dedicated WhatsApp broadcast groups and bulk SMS/email lists covering all government, private, aided, and recognised schools within 24 hours.

Traffic updates received by the administration will have to be forwarded to schools within 15 minutes without alteration. The system will cover schools in Sohna, Pataudi, Manesar, Farrukhnagar and Badshahpur.

Civic agencies and government departments such as the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Haryana Roadways, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, Municipal Council Manesar, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, public works department (B&R) and the National Highways Authority of India have been directed to prioritise drainage around school routes and school gates.

Officials will monitor identified waterlogging points during and after rainfall.

Among other directions, schools will also be required to appoint a transport in-charge or route safety officer and ensure that students are not assembled in basements or other low-lying areas during heavy rain.

They have also been directed not to operate buses on roads declared unsafe due to waterlogging and to use identified alternative routes. If no safe alternative is available, students will be kept under staff supervision at the school and parents will be informed immediately.

Furthermore, children cannot be dropped off on waterlogged and unattended bus stops, and should only be left with their parents or authorised guardians.

Each school bus is required to have a staff escort and adequate drinking water, while the driver should be briefed not to drive onto flooded roads or into underpasses.