Landslide blocks school route, over 60 students unable to attend classes
Landslide blocks school route, over 60 students unable to attend classes
Pithoragarh, sept 18
More than 60 students of Government Inter College (GIC), Dubola, in the Rameswar region of Pithoragarh district, have been unable to reach their school following a heavy landslide that blocked the route to their school on September 12. The situation has been further aggravated by the swollen Ramganga river flowing close to the damaged stretch.
Villagers have appealed to the district administration to deploy a JCB machine to clear the debris and reopen the route used by students from five villages to reach the school.
“We have advised students from Kharku Bhaliya, Sera, Bauteri, Rarikhunti and Jartola not to come to school through the landslide-affected route, as it is highly risky. The swollen Ramganga river is flowing close to the damaged stretch, and attempting to cross the area could put their lives at serious risk,” said Mahesh Bhatt, principal of GIC Dubola.
Villagers said students would not be able to attend school until the debris was completely cleared. “The road was repaired only about 10 months ago, but it has again been damaged by the landslide. Debris and boulders continue to fall from the hillside, making the route extremely dangerous for students,” said Deepak Giri, a social worker from Dubola village.
Pithoragarh District Disaster Management Officer Bhupendra Singh Mahar said the landslide occurred on September 17 and blocked the route to the school. “PWD workers are engaged in clearing the debris, and we hope the route can be reopened by this evening,” he said.
Pithoragarh District Information Officer Santosh Chand, quoting District Education Officer Tarun Pant, confirmed that several students from the surrounding villages were unable to reach the school because the landslide had blocked the route.
Deepak Koranga, a PWD junior engineer supervising the clearance operation at the site, said the work could take three to four days as fresh debris was continuing to fall onto the track.
