Dibrugarh: As many as 49 schools in Sivasagar district that remained closed after being affected by floods are expected to reopen and resume regular classes from Aug 31, officials said on Wednesday.The schools are undergoing cleaning, restoration and repair work, while online classes are being conducted to ensure that students remain connected with their studies during the disruption.Samiron Bora, inspector of schools and district elementary education officer, Sivasagar, said the restoration process was progressing and expressed confidence that all the remaining schools would reopen next Monday.“The cleaning process and restoration work at the 49 affected schools are currently underway. We are confident that all these schools will reopen and resume classes from next Monday, Aug 31,” Bora said.He said 555 schools across Sivasagar district were affected by floods that hit the region from July 19. Of these, 473 were elementary schools, while 52 were high and higher secondary schools.Sivasagar block was the worst affected, with 219 schools reporting flood-related damage, followed by Nazira with 201 schools and Demow with 135 schools. Around 70,000 students were affected by the floods and the subsequent disruption to the academic calendar.The summer vacation, originally scheduled from July 1 to July 31, was extended by more than a week because of the flood situation. The district administration subsequently postponed the reopening of schools to Aug 10.While 506 flood-affected schools have since reopened, the remaining 49 are still undergoing restoration. Cleaning teams are removing silt, garbage and stagnant water from school premises to make the campuses safe and suitable for students.Bora said the authorities were also taking steps to address the academic loss suffered by students because of the prolonged disruption.“Phase-wise remedial classes will be conducted to compensate for the academic loss of students. Online classes are already underway,” he said.The education department has also supplied uniforms and textbooks to flood-affected students. Repair work on damaged school buildings and other infrastructure is being carried out simultaneously.According to officials, govt has sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for the initial repairs of each flood-hit school. The amount is being used for urgent restoration and basic repair work required to make the institutions functional.Bora said more extensive repair and restoration work would continue after the schools reopen.“We expect all the damaged schools to be fully restored and repaired within another one to two months,” he said.
