‘FOB missing’: Students, teachers forced to cross ‘dangerous’ highway in Manesar

Teachers and locals in Manesar are urging for a foot overbridge as students face dangers crossing a busy highway with blocked underpasses and ongoing construction.

Teachers and local residents have raised concerns about the growing danger faced by students and staff of government schools in Manesar along the NH-8 stretch from Delhi to Jaipur, who are forced to cross the bustling highway with no foot overbridge or accessible underpass in sight.

(HT Archive)

Worsening their inconvenience is the ongoing construction of a flyover connection villages in Manesar with Delhi-Jaipur highway, which has caused the service lanes to be dug up and blocked off the underpass.

Four government schools — two primary and two senior secondary — lie along the highway.

Bhrigu Kumar, PGT English at Government Senior Secondary School, said: “The highway is prone to accidents. Teachers have been demanding the construction of a foot overbridge for nearly three years, but little progress has been made.”

He said: “Now, with the roads dug up and the underpass blocked, students are left with no option but to cross the highway. It’s extremely dangerous, especially for primary students. There is no alternative route in sight.”

Another teacher at the school, requesting anonymity, said: “During the monsoon, the situation becomes even worse. The underpasses are often waterlogged, making it nearly impossible for students to use them. Vehicles speed through this stretch, and crossing it is very risky.”

“Last December, a teacher was struck by a speeding car on the highway and died on the spot. Yet from the very next day, teachers and students had no choice but to continue crossing the highway,” he added.

Sanat Lal, a local resident, said: “It is not only students and teachers who are affected, local commuters are equally distressed. The stretch houses post offices and several essential facilities that villagers rely on, forcing them too to cross the highway.”

Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Darshan Yadav said the issue has been raised in several road safety meetings. “The tender for the foot overbridge was even sanctioned, but once the flyover construction began, it became impossible to proceed with the overbridge. The underpass is temporarily blocked, and we will try to improve the situation.”

Yogesh Tilak, project director at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said the flyover project had been long overdue and was a much-needed development.

“The construction of the foot overbridge is not feasible at the moment due to the ongoing flyover work. However, as a temporary solution, we can station officers at the site during school hours to direct traffic and ensure the safety of both students and locals.”