Authorities on Monday began demolishing dilapidated and unsafe school buildings in Kallakurichi and Villupuram districts. The move comes in the wake of the death of three students due to the collapse of a toilet wall in a government-aided school in Tirunelveli district on Friday.
Kallakurichi Collector P.N. Sridhar who oversaw the demolition said the School Education Department had identified 258 buildings to be demolished in the first phase. This included, 171 primary and middle school buildings and 87 high school and higher secondary school buildings across the district.
Mr. Sridhar said that the district administration had also constituted a committee comprising the District Educational Officer, Block Educational Officer and teachers to identify weak and unsafe buildings in private schools as well.
The committee would examine the strength of the school buildings in the private institutions and submit a report. Further action would be taken based on the findings, he said.
The Collector, at a meeting attended by officials of the School Education Department, said it must be ensured that students did not go near the buildings identified for demolition. He urged the officials to sensitise the school staff to this effect.
Villupuram
In Villupuram, Collector D. Mohan said on Monday that they have identified 601 school buildings, toilet complexes, kitchens and classrooms in the district which required to be razed.
He said that teams of officials had conducted the inspections and according to them 59 buildings which were in a dilapidated condition required to be pulled down in the first phase.
