School floor collapse to be probed: District collector
The district administration will probe the collapse of an alleged illegal floor of Jaipur’s leading school building during a recent dust storm, district collector Siddharth Mahajan said on Thursday.
The district administration will probe the collapse of an alleged illegal floor of Jaipur’s leading school building during a recent dust storm, district collector Siddharth Mahajan said on Thursday.
The fifth floor of Jayshree Periwal High School caved in during a dust storm on Tuesday luckily after the school got over. The collapse, however, raised doubts on the quality of the material used in its construction.
Some even alleged that the floor was being constructed without due permission from the development authority. However, school director Jayshree Periwal’s son Ayush, who is part of the school management, said, “No it’s not illegal, we had taken permission (to build it).” He hung up when asked for more details.
Sources said that some repair works were being done on the floor, which has around 20 classrooms and around 600 children remain present in it during the school hours.
The roof collapse has left parents worried about the safety of their wards.
“We are fortunate that the accident didn’t happen during school hours. We were shocked to see the damages and were concerned that what would have happened if at the time of the accident our children were present on the floor,” said a parent.
The collapse left broken chairs, tables and debris hanging dangerously down the floor. The school is now observing a partial closure to avoid an untoward incident. Every morning, the school administration is keeping the parents updated about the classes to be held through text messages.
Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) officials said the school should have taken adequate safety measures while carrying out the repairs. A senior official said the architect concerned should always double check for safety even if he happens to work on a duly approved building plan to avoid accidents.
District collector Siddharth Mahajan, who is also head of the disaster management committee, said, “As soon as we receive full information on this matter, we will initiate an inquiry regarding the building collapse.”
Jhotwara block education officer Sudhir Tomar, said,“The issue was not in my knowledge. I will inquire into the matter as to how and why the roof came down and appropriate steps will be followed after it.”