Mumbai: Aarey Colony school without electricity for three months now

After the pole fell, the school went to the BMC, which in turn approached the service provider to fix the matter. The service provider agreed to draw underground cables to the school but was not able to do so as the land belongs to public works department and is situated in an eco-sensitive area.

“The matter has been passed on from one office to another but students have been paying the price for it,” said a teacher who did not wish to be named.

More than 1,700 students are enrolled in the school, which has two Marathi-medium, two Tamil-medium and one Hindi-medium schools in the primary section and one Marathi-medium school in its secondary section.

“When the new session began in June, it was very hot and children would fan themselves using books but the weather has become better now,” said the principal of one of the schools.

Following efforts by the BMC, a generator was installed which provides electricity to seven classrooms in the Hindi-medium school. The rest of the classrooms, however, do not have power. “Some of the classes receive good sunlight but some are located in such a way that they do not receive any light from the windows,” said another teacher, an in-charge of a school.

The senior students have not been able to use the computer labs since the new sessions began in June. Teachers, too, have to resort to internet cafes to finish their administrative work, which is done online. “Some of the parents have asked for leaving certificates because of the delay,” said the in-charge.

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“Several education department officials of BMC have visited the school but the issue has not been resolved yet,” said the principal.

According to the BMC officials, the National Green Tribunal has already given its permission to draw underground cables to the school but the work is stuck at the dairy development department of the ministry.

Education committee chairperson Hemangi Worlikar, who visited the school recently, has written to the dairy development department.

“We met Education Minister Ravindra Waikar on Wednesday and requested him to take the matter forward,” she said. “Once we get a go-ahead, the service provider will begin the work.”