Classes Under a Makeshift Canopy as Students Struggle in Rain and Mud
**Own Correspondent, Panskura:** On one hand, heavy rain since morning, and on the other, no proper roof overhead. Classes are being conducted with a makeshift canopy. In an attempt to shield students from the rainwater, the teachers themselves are getting wet while conducting classes. Such a pathetic scene has been captured at Bahar Pota Primary School in Panskura, East Medinipur.
This **115-year-old government primary school** is currently going through severe problems. According to the school authorities, about 70 percent of the school building had to be demolished last Saturday following an order from the Kolkata High Court. As a result, the educational infrastructure has practically collapsed.
Local sources have reported that the land for the school was allocated long ago for educational purposes. After nearly 100 years, a local resident, **Ashitkumar Manna**, has raised claims over the ownership of the land. Subsequently, he approached the court demanding the return of the school land. The school authorities claim that a large portion of the school building had to be demolished following the court's order.
The **bathroom and drinking water submersible pump** for the students have also been demolished. As a result, nearly **130 students** are currently facing severe problems.
The situation has worsened on rainy days. Due to the lack of adequate facilities in the concrete classrooms, classes are being conducted with a makeshift canopy. Students have to stand or sit in water and mud to attend classes. Many times, both teachers and students end up getting wet as they cannot escape the rainwater.
According to the teachers, the situation is extremely painful. Classes are being conducted even in adverse conditions to ensure that students' education does not come to a halt. However, there are concerns among them about how long it will be possible to run the school in this manner.
Not only classes, but **the staff are also facing issues with cooking the mid-day meal**. Due to inadequate infrastructure, they are struggling to prepare meals. On the other hand, the arrangement for drinking water for the students has become virtually uncertain. It has been reported that they are managing the situation by bringing water from afar.
In this situation, there is a demand for the rapid establishment of alternative infrastructure for the school and ensuring safe education for the students. The school authorities are worried about how to keep the education of nearly 130 students normal in the coming days.
