CHANDIGARH, Aug. 28 — The Punjab Education Department has begun assessing damage to schools across flood-hit districts after heavy rains left several villages inundated. Initial reports indicate that more than 300 government senior secondary and elementary schools have been affected.
Districts including Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Nawanshahar have reported the most severe impact, officials said. Many school buildings in Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Fazilka were flooded, raising concerns over damage to furniture and infrastructure.
Teachers from Fazilka and Ferozepur said the Sutlej river had submerged approach roads under two to three feet of water, making schools inaccessible even where buildings were not directly flooded. “Even if flood water has not entered some premises, teachers and students simply cannot reach them,” said Mohinder Kourianwali, a Fazilka-based teacher.
In Kapurthala, teacher Hawinder Alluwal noted that besides education, villages face multiple challenges, including the risk of water-borne diseases, rehabilitation of displaced families, and supply of food and drinking water.
The state government earlier declared holidays for all schools from August 27 to 30 as Beas and Sutlej rivers continue to swell. Officials said safety inspections would be mandatory before classes resume.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “We are getting regular updates on the flood situation and will take decisions accordingly.”
