Schools cancel classes, but buses stuck on flooded Mumbai roads

Even as schools in Mumbai released students early, many reached home only after 1-2 hours as school buses struggled to move through flooded streets.

As heavy rain lashed the city, several private schools, which were open on Wednesday, ended their morning classes and remained closed for the afternoon on the instructions of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and state education department.

School kids look out from the window as it rain heavily at Andheri in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

However, even as schools released students early, many reached home only after 1-2 hours as school buses struggled to move through flooded streets.

While schools affiliated with the BMC and aided schools remained closed on account of Ganpati vacations, some private schools had declared holiday only for the first day of Ganpati. With heavy rains and flooding all over the city, these schools left students early. “We left the children early as it was raining heavily. School buses will safely drop them home,” said Kavita Sanghvi , principal, Chattrabhuj Narsee Memorial School, Vile Parle.

Other schools like Arya Vidya Mandir in Bandra, Gundecha Academy in Kandivli and SVKM in Vile Parle also left students early. “We allowed parents to pick up students as and when they could,” said Dr G Swaminathan, principal, SVKM JV Parekh International school.

Anil Garg, president, school bus owners association, said, “As most buses have GPS tracking facility, parents could check the bus status while they waited.”

“As a precautionary measure, holiday is declared for all schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Kokan region tomorrow — September 5, 2019. District collectors in other parts of Maharashtra to decide, based on local conditions,” tweeted education minister Ashish Shelar.