Haryana schools get terror ready, will have multiple exits

In order to reduce the vulnerability of schools during a terror attack, the Haryana government has ordered that all new schools need to have three to four side entry/exits from different approach roads.

In order to reduce the vulnerability of schools during a terror attack, the Haryana government has ordered that all new schools need to have three to four side entry/exits from different approach roads so that students can be evacuated with ease in case of a terror attack or an emergency.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has asked the town and country planning department to conduct a ground survey to find schools that have only one entry/exit gate. The survey will also find schools that have only one approach road. (HT File)

The government’s directions to all Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) administrators came on April 18, after the government took cognizance of the matter raised by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

In December 2014, the home ministry had raised the matter with the CBSE through a letter, asking it to implement safety measures in schools in view of the growing terror threat in the country. Following this, the CBSE requested the state government to ensure that schools follow the Standard Operating Procedures in case of an emergency, and also provide for three to four entry/exits on different approach roads.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has instructed the town and country planning (TCP) department to ensure that provision of three to four entry/exit points are made for schools that are still to be allotted sites for development. If these schools have a single approach road, then the planners will have to provide for at least two gates to ensure that students can exit the building without hassle, particularly in case of an emergency. In case a nursery school has two approach roads, the entry and exits should be on different roads.

Apart from this, the CM has also asked the TCP department to conduct a ground survey to find schools that have only one entry/exit gate. The survey will also find schools that have only one approach road and the schools that are submitting building plans.

The CM has also directed the Huda and TCP department to ensure that schools are located at sites with at least two to three approach roads in the newly developed sectors.

Planning officer of DTCP, Gurgaon, Jaivir Sharma said that allotment rules of school sites were changed after instructions from the CM. “New sites will have to be connected by two to three roads as per the new policy,” he said.