Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Rush to vacate Covid centres in schools
MUMBAI : To ensure all municipal schools that have classes 8 to 12 are able to restart as planned from Monday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is hurrying to move Covid-19 quarantine centres and vaccination centres from premises of schools that are housing them at present.
Sixteen municipal schools have quarantine centres and 35 municipal schools have vaccination centres on their premises, according to information from the civic education department. The administration now has less than 48 hours as of Saturday morning, to move these centres to the nearest feasible location, disinfect the premises, and begin classes from 8 to 12 from Monday morning.
On Wednesday, BMC’s circular, which announced schools in its jurisdiction will begin classes 8 to 12 from October 4, directed assistant commissioners of all 24 administrative wards to identify nearby marriage halls or civic amenities centres, so vaccination or quarantine centres operating from any municipal school premises can be shifted before Monday.
However, mayor Kishori Pednekar said on Friday afternoon, “If schools that have vaccination and quarantine centres on their premises are unable to move these facilities before Monday, such schools may not start on Monday. All remaining municipal schools will start classes on campus as decided.”
Pednekar was speaking to parents of students in an online meeting on Friday afternoon, when parents raised concerns about restarting schools on time, that have these centres on their premises.
The administration however is working to ensure this does not happen. Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Friday, “These centres are being cleared from schools.”
A senior civic officer said, “We are trying to ensure they are moved in time. If it becomes impossible to find another feasible location and manage logistics of relocating a vaccination or quarantine centre in time, then maybe we will have to start the schools later in the week.”
The opposition has criticised BMC administration for not being prepared before hand, after the state announced one week ago that schools will reopen from October 4. Ravi Raja, leader of the opposition in BMC, said, “The BMC administration wakes up late everywhere. We have done a good job with treatment of Covid-19 cases and the lockdown. However, when it comes to taking decisions, the administration is very slow. I spoke to the education department, and I was informed schools that have vaccination or quarantine centres may not open on Monday. However, all private schools will open, and this is only going to affect municipal school children. After the state announced one week ago that schools will open from October 4, BMC should not have sat on the decision till Wednesday.”