NAROWAL: A government girls primary school remains plagued by sewage.

The students of the school at Billo Pind in Qila Ahmed Abad have made makeshift arrangements to enter the premises.

Housed on two-kanal premises, the school has classrooms, boundary wall, electricity, clean drinking water, washrooms, furniture and other basic facilities but the issue of stagnant water remains unaddressed.

When the school was built two decades ago, the level of its lawn was above the surrounding streets and markets but over time its level has significantly come down.

The teachers and the taught enter the school through a small door and cross temporary stairs made of bricks. In order to go from one class to another, they have made temporary bridges of benches. There are complaints that many times students have fallen while crossing the dirty area. Rain adds to the problems and the teachers, staff and students face the risk of mosquitoes.

It is alleged that insects and snakes are found on the school premises and threaten the lives of people.

Parents say there is no other government school nearby where they can send their children.

Local councillor Malik Muhammad Manzoor said: “We filed applications to the education department and Deputy Commissioner Waheed Asghar but no one has bothered to visit the school.”

The school headmistress, Nargis Bano, said there were more than 400 students on the roll two years ago but the number had dropped as many people had taken their children to private schools.

An assistant education officer said they had contacted the municipal authorities to have the water cleared and the education department officials claim that the problem would be solved soon.

Meanwhile, students and their parents protested outside the school and demanded that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar take notice of the situation.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2019