Crumbling, but 'safe' for MCD schools

The education department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has compiled a list of 15 buildings from where it proposes to start schools from the next academic session. Now comes the bizarre part: its own engineers have declared six of the buildings unsafe or dangerous.

The education department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has compiled a list of 15 buildings from where it proposes to start schools from the next academic session. Now comes the bizarre part: its own engineers have declared six of the buildings unsafe or dangerous.

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The three most dangerous buildings are in Punjabian Basti (west Delhi), Cheh Tooti and Gali Pahiye Wali (Sadar Paharganj zone). One school in Sat Nagar (Karol Bagh zone) is considered 'not good' and two schools in Farsh Bazar and Circular Road (Shahdara south zone) were abandoned because they were found unsafe for students.

With the Right to Education Act coming into effect, the MCD proposes to re-use vacant schools, ignoring the fact that they may be crumbling.

"In view of RTE, schools will begin from the next session, but the MCD will repair the buildings before they are opened," said an official.

But a reality check showed the buildings are too dilapidated to be repaired before April when the new session begins.

According to a report, in the past five years, 33 school buildings have been vacated by the MCD mostly due to merger with other schools. With the RTE Act in place, plans are afoot to get back children to some of the vacated schools.