LARKANA: As many as 6,642 primary schools and education department offices in four districts of Larkana Region have been damaged by devastating recent flash flood covering an area of 558,720 sq ft having 13,778 teachers which have affected education of 433,840 (291684 males and 142156 females) enrolled students of these schools.
This was revealed in a detailed report jointly prepared by District Education Officer (Primary), Larkana, Executive Engineer, Education Works Division, Chief Monitoring Officer (M and E), School Education and Literacy Department, Superintending Engineer, Education Works Circle, Regional Director Colleges, Larkana Region and others, copy of which was obtained by this Scribe on Thursday.
The statistics further disclosed that 841 schools have been completely destroyed and 2341 partially damaged and estimated replacement cost of these schools is Rs11,920.966 million. Cost of furniture and fixtures of these schools is Rs938m and cumulative replacement or repair cost is Rs12,961.576.
The report added that 4970 schools are operational whereas 793 schools are closed. The report said that 72 offices have also been damaged and 6570 schools have been destroyed across Larkana Region’s four districts including Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kandhkot @ Kashmore districts. The report added that 1357 schools have been damaged in Shikarpur, 1430 in Jacobabad, 1507 in Kambar-Shahdadkot, and 1528 in Kandhkot @ Kashmore district.
Gul Sher Soomro, Deputy Director, School Education, Larkana Region, who is also holding the charge of Larkana’s District Education Officer, said that they have yet been able to visit 25% schools of Kambar-Shahdadkot district due to stagnant water and 75% schools are still to be visited to asses the destruction when water recedes and access is available.
He said European Union has given 1,250 million Euro to National Planning Commission Pakistan for construction of schools in most affected areas. He said for this purpose schools of 11 districts have been selected in Sindh which have been destroyed include Dadu (Khairpur Nathan Shah), Kambar-Shahdadkot, Umerkot, Jacobabd, Sanghar and Khairpur. He said detailed report has been made in this context. Hopefully, he added, new buildings will be built in these destroyed districts, like that of USAID-built schools.