Disaster awaits Budgam school, admin in slumber

Dried trees endangering school surroundings.
Dried trees endangering school surroundings.

Irfan Tramboo

BUDGAM, July 27: Disaster awaits Government Middle School Waterwani as the trees surrounding the school have dried up and can fall on the school building anytime. The trees have dried up and there is a constant fear that looms large.
Locals in the area told Excelsior that the administration was not taking the issue seriously as they have been repeatedly requested to cut down the trees that have dried up over the years. But every time the requests have fallen on deaf ears.
“Recently, during wind storm a tree fell on the school building, luckily there was no one present in the building at that time. Imagine, if there were children or the staff present at that moment, they could have died,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a local living adjacent to the school.
He asked if the School Education department was waiting for someone to die before they could really get up and cut the trees down.
While the tree that has fallen on the building has caused damage to the roof of the building, the education department has not even bothered to get it repaired so far.
“We are not against trees, we are just demanding that dried up trees should be chopped down, they can sow new trees at those spots, but at least they should get up and take care of things before occurrence of any disaster at the school,” said Abdul Hamid, another local.
When contacted, Zonal Education Officer Zone Soibugh Zaffar Ud Din told Excelsior that the matter has been taken up with the concerned for the immediate action.
“I have visited the school and have taken up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner Budgam. The issue has been taken up with the Education Department as well,” he said.
“There was some damage caused to the building when a tree fell on it, I have sent the report regarding that as well. The matter is with the Planning Department as of now, those trees will be cut down soon,” he added.

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