A four-hour spell of heavy rain on Tuesday created a dangerous situation at Somalwar School’s Nikhalas Branch (Nikalas Mahila Mahavidyalaya too) on Rana Pratap Nagar Road in Khamla, where students and teachers were stranded after floodwater inundated the school premises. Rescue efforts were launched with the help of ropes to safely evacuate children from the water-logged campus.

 

The crisis has been attributed to the ongoing road construction work outside the school, which remained incomplete. Instead of completing the work before onset of monsoon, the civic authorities allowed the project to continue during rainy season, leaving a massive excavation in front of the school. The affected stretch serves both Somalwar Nikalas Branch and Somalwar Khamla School, resulting in hundreds of students, teachers and parents being exposed to hazardous conditions. Even on normal days, the narrow single-lane road witnesses severe traffic congestion and poses threat of accidents. Tuesday’s downpour worsened the situation manifold. Rainwater mixed with mud, debris and construction material from the dug-up road entered the school campus, submerging the playground under knee-deep water. Students were left trapped inside the school building as the flooded entrance became unsafe. Teachers and school staff co-ordinated rescue efforts while local residents assisted in evacuating children with ropes. Parents and residents criticised the administration for failing to complete the road work before schools reopened, alleging gross negligence and poor planning.

 

They questioned why such a major civic project was undertaken during monsoon posing a huge risk to school children. The incident has once again exposed the lack of co-ordination between civic agencies and contractors, with incomplete infrastructure works posing a direct threat to public safety. Residents have demanded immediate completion of road project, restoration of proper drainage facilities and accountability for delay, stating that the ordeal faced by students could have been avoided with timely planning and execution. 

 

 

Students stranded at Somalwar School in Khamla were safely evacuated. Personnel from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Fire and Emergency Services, along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), carried out a successful rescue operation using ropes and brought the children to safety. NMC Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare remained at the spot throughout the rescue operation and assisted officials in ensuring safe evacuation of students. She also interacted with anxious parents, briefed them on the rescue efforts and assured them that all necessary measures were being taken. NMC Commissioner Dr Vipin Itankar was also personally present at the site, monitoring the evacuation operation and co-ordinating with the rescue teams to ensure children’s safe evacuation.