<a href="/category/bhandara" class="text-brand font-semibold hover:underline">Bhandara</a>: Student Safety Under Threat
A serious infrastructure crisis has emerged in Bhandara district, where hundreds of students continue to attend classes in unsafe and deteriorating school buildings. Despite the government's approval of crores of rupees for repairs and new classroom construction, implementation has remained sluggish, leaving parents deeply concerned about their children's safety.
Hundreds of Classrooms in Poor Condition
According to official data, 794 Zilla Parishad schools operate across the district. Of these:
415 schools have severely dilapidated classrooms.
474 schools require major structural repairs.
46 schools do not even have boundary walls, raising additional security concerns.
The condition of many classrooms includes cracked walls, damaged roofs, and weakened structures that pose a direct risk to students and teachers.
Slow Repairs Despite Approved Funds
The Education Department sanctioned substantial funds during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years to improve school infrastructure.
For 2025–26, authorities approved:
106 special repair projects worth ₹7 crore.
73 new classroom construction projects.
However, several projects remain only 30–40% complete, while others are still unfinished, delaying much-needed safety improvements.
Monsoon Increases the Danger
The ongoing monsoon has further exposed the vulnerability of aging school buildings. Roof leakages, falling plaster, damp walls, and weakened ceilings have made classrooms increasingly hazardous.
Parents have questioned how children can be expected to study safely under such conditions and have demanded immediate intervention before any unfortunate incident occurs.
Right to Safe Education
Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, every child has the right to receive education in a safe learning environment. However, the present condition of many government schools in Bhandara raises serious concerns about whether this basic right is being fully protected.
Administration Promises Faster Action
Officials say that repair work and new classroom construction are being accelerated. According to Sushil Kanhekar, Engineer, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Zilla Parishad Bhandara, the government has sanctioned significant funding over the past two years, and efforts are underway to complete pending projects and provide safer school infrastructure for thousands of students.
Parents and local residents, however, continue to urge authorities to move beyond approvals and paperwork, emphasizing that student safety cannot wait.