Udaipur school tragedy: Education Dept issues strict safety guidelines

Jaipur, Aug 18 (IANS) After the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl in Udaipur district due to the collapse of a school balcony, the Rajasthan Education Department has swung into action and introduced strict new safety guidelines for the construction and repair of government school buildings.

The department has made it mandatory to ensure that no academic activity will be conducted in classrooms located near any damaged or unsafe structure. Danger boards and barricades must be installed immediately around hazardous areas, and security guards will be deployed 24x7 to prevent entry into such zones.

According to the new guidelines, extra precautions will be taken during electrical work. All electrical equipment must be properly grounded, and no open wires will be left unattended.

Similarly, construction material must be arranged in a manner that does not block pathways. To prevent accidents, sand will be spread over slippery areas, while fire extinguishers and first-aid boxes must be kept available at every construction or repair site. The department has also emphasised accountability in construction works.

Education Minister Madan Dilawar has clarified that teachers or non-technical staff will no longer be deputed to engineering posts. Instead, only qualified engineers will be entrusted with construction responsibilities.

Moreover, third-party inspections have been made mandatory before the release of any payments for construction or repair works.

Officials believe these steps are critical to restoring public confidence in school safety.

“The Udaipur incident was extremely tragic and exposed loopholes in our system. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring such an accident never happens again,” a senior official said.

The collapse of the balcony not only claimed the life of an innocent student but also injured another, sparking widespread outrage among parents and residents.

With several reports in recent months highlighting the poor condition of school buildings in different parts of Rajasthan, the government has faced growing criticism for neglecting basic infrastructure.

By enforcing these guidelines, the Education Department hopes to make school campuses safer for children, teachers, and staff. Authorities have assured strict monitoring and warned that negligence will not be tolerated, said officials.

--IANS

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