M A I N   N E W S

Leh loses 60 schools in floods
Aditi Tandon writes from Leh

Druk White Lotus School in the flood-ravaged Shey village of Leh was lucky to have hosted actor Aamir Khan’s “3 Idiots” film unit. In return, it last week got a hefty reconstruction grant from the filmmaker, who said he felt responsible for the school which suffered losses in the August 6 tragedy.

Not all schools in the Valley got that lucky. From Leh town to faraway Igoo, Basgo, Domkar Dho and Khangral villages, the district has lost over 60 school buildings to the floods. This comprises 17 per cent of the 350 schools in Leh.

Severest damages have occurred to schools in the district’s Khaltsi block where 30 of the 75 buildings have been razed and authorities have resorted to teaching students in makeshift tents.

Leh block reported losses in 15 of the 53 schools. Across the remaining blocks too — Kharu, Chochot, Saspol, Nyoma, Sumoor and Durbuk (Nubra was the only block that escaped the floods) — large-scale damages to classrooms and labs have occurred, costing senior students dear.

In Leh town itself, Government Boys Higher Secondary School stands in ruins, all its high school classrooms washed away. School principal Chetan Dorje has now hired some space in a former Kendriya Vidyala building (now part of a local charitable trust). “We have resumed classes XI and XII in the old KV building; class IX and X students have been shifted to the primary school building which is safe. Arts block has been completely damaged,” he told The Tribune. Elsewhere too tents are serving as temporary classrooms as in Tashi Gatsal at Choglamsar.

Some of the completely damaged schools are High School Igoo (Kharu block), High School Basgo (Leh block), primary schools in Hunu farol, Domkar Dho and Thongros (Khaltsi blocks); Phyang and Kongnos (Leh); Middle schools in Hanu Khaskhas, Khangral, Saspochey (Khaltsi blocks) and Tashi Gatsal (Choglamsar). Desperate for help, all these 60 institutions have petitioned the Chief Education Officer, Leh, who in turn has sought a reconstruction grant of Rs six crore for the schools (Rs 10 lakh per school). Without buildings, the academic session (March to November) could end up being wasted as final exams are due in November. Schools in Leh normally close for vacations from December 15 up to March 1.

Money would also be required to provide books and school uniforms to children whose houses have been swept away. Many of them are at relief camps, unable to cope with the loss of education. At Himank relief camp in Choglamsar, which is housing the worst affected families, over 50 children are waiting to get back to classes; among them is seven-year-old Diskit Dolma, who says, “I miss my books, my uniform, my school playground.”

At places like Igoo and Basgo, classes are going on in tents, but the attention is mainly focused at high school and senior secondary students, whose futures are at risk due to the collapse of this session. Most of them are to take competitive exams next year to enter higher education streams. They are now hoping some NGOs — 32 are working for Leh flood relief — would come forward to address this unmet sector.