Tragedy Makes Bhongir Authorities Check Old, Damaged Trees in Government Schools
A teacher of the school, on condition of anonymity, said the school staff alone cannot decide on damaged trees
Nalgonda: In the aftermath of a girl student’s death after a neem tree fell on students at the Bhagayath Government Primary School in Bhongir, district authorities have instructed headmasters of all government schools to send reports on trees aged more than 30 years located on their school premises.
Bhongir district education officer (DEO) has ordered headmasters to submit their report within a week. Based on their reports, the Education department would ask officials of the Forest and Fire department to identify trees that pose a danger to students.
Authorities have termed the girl’s death at the Bhagayath Government Primary School as an accidental incident.
A teacher of the school, on condition of anonymity, said the school staff alone cannot decide on damaged trees. Though the Bhagayath tree appeared normal on sight, the insides of a branch had been damaged due to an old fire.
Even if a tree is visually damaged, school authorities must not take a decision on cutting it, the teacher warned. In this regard, the teacher pointed to the headmaster of a school in Nalgonda district being booked under Water, Land, and Trees Act (WALTA) as she decided to cut off neem trees, which had been infected by a disease.
With regard to the two students injured in the Bhagayath school incident, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bibingar, issued a press note saying the duo remain admitted in the hospital with lower-limb injuries. Both are clinically stable and are receiving appropriate medical care, the press note stated.