Punjab: School Opens Despite Holiday Notice, Now 400 Students Trapped in Flooded School
Gurdaspur (The Uttam Hindu): Amid heavy rains and devastating floods in Punjab, a shocking case of administrative negligence has surfaced. Despite the state government’s announcement of holidays in all schools, a Navodaya Vidyalaya in Daboori village, near Dinanagar, was opened, leaving nearly 400 students and several teachers stranded in rising floodwaters.
The Punjab government had declared holidays in all government and private schools from August 27 to August 30 due to the continuous downpour. However, the school administration blatantly ignored the order and conducted classes today. As a result, when water levels surged suddenly, children and teachers found themselves trapped inside the school premises.
When questioned, the school principal admitted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had indeed announced holidays from today, but added that floodwater had started entering the campus last night itself. His statement has raised serious questions about why the school was opened despite clear warnings and visible danger.
Currently, the students and staff have been shifted to the second floor of the building for safety. The school administration has now appealed to district authorities for help in evacuating the trapped children. The incident has sparked outrage, exposing the negligence that put the lives of hundreds of students at grave risk.