KAKINADA: Many schools in Chinturu agency areas of Alluri Seetharama Raju district and in Kukunuru and Velerupadu mandals of Eluru district have not yet reopened, despite education department issuing orders to reopen schools after floods in River Godavari have abated.
Floods in the agency areas have been so heavy that complete mud and slush from classrooms in the schools are yet to be removed. Those contacted to clean up schools are demanding ₹1–1.5 lakh to clean up each school. Teachers of some schools have, however, themselves cleaned their schools and have reopened them.
According to locals, 70 per cent of flood-hit families have reached their villages from various relief camps and are cleaning up their houses. Their children too are involved in the process. Remaining 30 percent of the families are residing in rehabilitation centres set up in their own or other villages, as their huts and thatched houses have got washed away in waters. Children of these families are thus unable to attend their schools.
“We are engaged in removing mud and slush from our houses. Some workers have come from V.R. Puram offering to clean our houses by charging ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 as per condition of the house. We are not able to send our children to schools in the present circumstances,’’ said a woman of Kunavaram. The teacher of a school in Kunavaram said they themselves mobilised funds to clean their school.
People of Gommugudem village in Kukunoor mandal had moved to the Kivvaka Rehabilitation Centre following floods. There is a school near this rehabilitation centre. Students of Gommugudem are temporarily studying in this school.
Residents of Besthagudem locked up officials of their village protesting that these officials have recorded only 45 houses as damaged out of total 365 houses. Following this, higher officials reached the village and assured residents that a resurvey will be carried out and justice done. “In such conditions, how can we pay attention to education of our children’’ a parent questioned.
ASR district education officer Ramesh said they have opened all schools in the district except a few in badly affected areas. Classes are going on as usual in the reopened schools, he stated.
