By TC News Desk
Agartala, 25th August 2024: The recent floods in Tripura have caused severe damage to the education sector, impacting more than 200 schools with infrastructure losses estimated at Rs 11 crore. Additionally, over 12,000 students have lost their textbooks.
At a press conference on Sunday, N.C. Sharma, Director of Secondary Education, highlighted the dire situation. “Many students are currently residing in relief camps. We have compiled a preliminary report, although conditions in some areas of Gomati district remain critical. As reported, Rs 11 crore worth of school infrastructure has been damaged, and in the South District, two schools were completely destroyed by a massive landslide. Relief camps have been set up in 239 schools, many of which have been submerged.
We are working on disinfecting these schools, and school inspectors along with District Education Officers have begun their assessment. Over 209 schools have been affected, and approximately 12,000 students have lost their books. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will provide replacements. Our immediate priority is to clean the schools to prevent health issues among children,” Sharma stated.
He added that 12,356 books are needed for the affected students. “We have already prepared the books for distribution, and they will be sent to the South District tomorrow,” he confirmed.
In a related development, Higher Education Director Animesh Debbarma announced that all higher education institutions have been closed since August 21, with the closure extended until further notice. Semester exams have been postponed. According to initial reports, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar College in Belonia and Swami Vivekananda College in Mohanpur have suffered partial damage. Additionally, some public libraries have been affected, with approximately 8,000 books damaged. Relief camps have been established in two colleges. The government will decide on the reopening of colleges based on further assessments.
