Fani Damaged 6,498 Schools In 13 Odisha Districts

Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Fani destroyed a total of 6,498 schools in 13 Odisha districts.

Sources said the schools have been damaged, as trees fell on the buildings. At some places, the schools do not have asbestos roofs after Fani. Many schools have been damaged completely and others are partly damaged.

The School and Mass Education department assessed Rs 417.83 crore in losses because of the cyclone, Information and Public Relations secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said. A total of 2,134 schools were damaged in Puri district, which was the worst affected in the cyclonic storm.

A total of 1,002 schools were damaged in Cuttack district, Singh said. Besides, 432 schools were damaged in Balasore district, 392 in Kendrapara, 332 in Khurda, 165 in Nayagarh, 150 in Dhenkanal, 121 in Bhadrak, 386 in Ganjam, 577 in Jajpur, 28 in Keonjar, 59 in Mayurbhanj and 720 in Jagatsinghpur district.

Singh also said that the culture department has assessed Rs 72 crore in losses because of damage caused to several institutions functioning under the department. Sanskruti Bhawan suffered damages worth Rs 15 crore while the damage to the State Library was pegged at Rs 3 crore.

Though summer vacation is on in Odisha’s schools, those will reopen in mid-June. It is a matter of concern whether the schools can be repaired in this limited time. Students and parents have demanded immediate action.