MP News: Over 5k Schools Operate In Rickety Buildings; Jhabua Worst Hit
MP has 5,700+ schools operating in dilapidated buildings, with Jhabua reporting 618 unsafe structures. Other severely affected districts include Dhar, Alirajpur, and Anuppur. Despite risks to thousands of students, repairs remain slow, even though Rs 36,730 crore has been sanctioned for school development in 2025-26. Officials stress annual surveys help plan renovations, but execution lags behind.
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Over 5,700 schools are running with ramshackle roofs and cracking walls, posing hazards to the lives of thousands of children across the state. Despite the looming danger, students continue to attend classes in these buildings, risking their safety every day.
According to official data collected by the School Education Department, Jhabua district has reported the highest number of structures in a dangerous state at 618, making it the most affected district overall, followed closely by Dhar district with 550. Other severely impacted districts include Alirajpur (355), Anuppur (289), and Umaria (229). Conversely, only two districts, Rajgarh and Neemuch, reported zero such buildings. Additionally, Bhopal has nine such schools, Indore (17), Ujjain (74), Gwalior (55) and Jabalpur (42).
GRANTS RECEIVED
For the year 2025-2026, the School Education Department received Rs 36,730 crore for the overall development of schools across the state. There are 58,269 primary schools and 24,666 middle schools in the state. From classes one to five, 39 lakh students study in government schools, while 23.97 lakh students study in classes six to eight.
EXCEEDED SHELFLIFE
Education department sources indicate that several of these structures have exceeded their lifespan and have not undergone timely maintenance or renovation. With the upcoming academic session and changing weather conditions, the risk of accidents is likely to increase further. Officials also said that funds for repair and renovation have been sanctioned in some cases, but the pace of execution remains slow.
School Education Department Secretary Sanjay Goyal said, We get a survey done every year so that we can plan their repair. Numbers are decreasing.
Districts with highest number of dilapidated buildings
* Jhabua: 618
* Dhar: 550
* Alirajpur: 355
* Anuppur: 289
* Umaria: 229
* Balaghat: 190
* Shivpuri: 180
* Dindori: 178
* Ratlam: 167
* Satna: 169
Districts with fewest dilapidated buildings
* Datia: 3
* Bhopal: 9
* Morena: 9
* Harda: 17
* Indore: 17
* Bhind: 18
* Vidisha: 21
* Khandwa: 23
* Burhanpur: 27
* Betul: 29
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