Jalgaon: The poor condition of school infrastructure in rural Jalgaon district has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that 356 classrooms across 131 Zilla Parishad schools are in a severely dilapidated condition. The deteriorating state of these classrooms has raised serious safety concerns, especially with the monsoon season approaching.
According to officials, several school buildings have leaking roofs, rusted tin sheets and structurally weak walls, forcing students to continue their education in unsafe conditions. In many schools, old tiled-roof structures are still in use, creating fears that parts of the buildings could collapse during heavy rains.
The situation has also exposed alleged negligence in maintenance and repairs over the years. Apart from classrooms, inspections will also assess the condition of school toilets, kitchens, electrical systems, school gates and boundary walls.
Authorities have further decided to verify whether CCTV cameras have been installed in schools and if they are functioning properly to ensure the safety and security of students.
To avoid accidents during the upcoming rainy season, the State Government has ordered structural audits of all schools. The Education Department has directed officials to immediately vacate any building found to be dangerous or structurally unsafe.
However, repairing all the damaged classrooms before the monsoon is expected to be a major challenge for the administration, as many structures are reportedly in extremely poor condition.
In addition to Zilla Parishad schools, private schools have also been instructed to conduct mandatory structural audits. Officials warned that schools failing to comply with the government’s safety directives could face strict action.
