Locals allege repeated complaints over UPS Janbazpora Drugmulla’s unsafe infrastructure went unheeded
Kupwara, Nov 14: A nine-year-old girl lost her life after a school fencing collapsed at Upper Primary School Janbazpora Bandpora in Drugmulla area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday afternoon, in a tragic incident that coincided with Children’s Day.
The deceased identified as Ghaziya Parvaiz, daughter of Parvaiz Ahmad Najar, a resident of Najar Mohalla, Drugmulla, studying in third primary, sustained critical injuries, including severe trauma to her skull, in the incident. She was rushed to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kupwara, where doctors declared her brought dead.
The incident has evoked widespread grief in the locality, with residents questioning the alleged failure of the concerned authorities to address the deteriorating condition of the school despite repeated complaints.
Locals told GNS that they had approached the authorities on several occasions, drawing attention to the dilapidated condition of the school infrastructure. However, they alleged that no meaningful intervention had been undertaken thus far to address the concerns.
A GNS team independently visited the school premises and found several buildings within the institution in extremely shabby condition. The basic facilities were also found wanting, with washrooms having broken doors and windows. An open sewage pit within the school premises further highlighted the unhygienic and potentially hazardous conditions confronting the students.
Ironically, the institution is occasionally utilised as a station for polling activities and as an immunisation centre. Residents questioned how the deteriorating condition of the premises could have escaped sustained official attention despite its periodic use for administrative and public health activities.
A local, speaking to GNS on condition of anonymity, alleged that private educational institutions are often subjected to swift scrutiny and held accountable for lapses, whereas government-run schools tend to be given considerable leeway despite shortcomings in infrastructure and administration.
The resident questioned what they described as the disparity in accountability, alleging that government schools are frequently allowed to continue functioning in deteriorating conditions without the same degree of scrutiny or corrective action.
Meanwhile, Tehsildar Drugmulla Syed Basharat Ahmad, accompanied by other officials, and the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Kupwara, visited the site to inspect the premises and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, residents maintained that such inspections should have been undertaken proactively, arguing that timely intervention could possibly have averted the tragedy.
The funeral prayers of Ghaziya were, later in the evening, attended by people from far and wide, who gathered to pay their last respects to the young girl. Her mortal remains were laid to rest amid sobs and tears, as the bereaved family and the entire locality mourned the untimely loss.
The family and civil society has in the meantime called for a fair and comprehensive probe to determine what led to the fencing collapse and ensure accountability wherever negligence is established. (GNS)
