Chennai: With monsoon rains raising safety concerns on school campuses, the school education department has directed schools and chief education officers to inspect roofs, parapet walls and sunshades for leaks, cordon off unsafe buildings and ensure the structural stability of overhead water tanks.Heads of all schools must take stock of unused, severely damaged, and old buildings requiring demolition within their campuses and coordinate with local bodies. “Village panchayats, town panchayats and municipalities must be alerted, and the public works department and the Collector’s office must be intimated. For demolition, necessary approvals must be obtained on a war footing,” the school education department said in a circular.Additionally, chief education officers have been asked to check for open wells, underground water storage tanks (sumps), rainwater harvesting structures, and septic tanks, and secure them with concrete or iron covers. “In schools where construction activities are under way, the sites must be barricaded, and equipment must be stored away from the reach of students,” the department said.The department has also warned schools about water stagnation. “Walls are the primary focus areas, as they become damp from rain. HMs have been asked to look for signs of collapse, coordinate with local bodies, and raise requests for new walls if needed. In case of rainwater stagnation on campuses, the HMs must take steps to pump it out,” an official with the Chennai chief education office said.Block-education officers will inspect compliance.
