At least 7 districts of Punjab have been engulfed in flood due to continuous heavy rain and rise in water levels. One of the districts that have been affected by flood is Gurdaspur. The situation of Punjab Flood is so grim that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday announced that all schools including private and government will remain closed.
However, a case of gross negligence has come to the fore. As per reports, despite government's order to keep the schools closed due to flood alert, a school in Gurdaspur remained open.
As a result, nearly 400 students and 40 teachers were left stranded when flood water water logged the area and even entered the school premises.
The school in the center of controversy is Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya situated in Daburi village, Gurdaspur.
As per reports, the Ravi river has overflowed nearly 9 kilometers beyond its banks, flooding the school campus with 4 to 5 feet of water.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya has been accused of ignoring government's directive and keeping the school open.
However, Principal Naresh Kumar was quoted saying that about 400 hostel students and nearly 40 staff members were trapped inside the premises.
District administration and disaster management teams rushed into action after reports of the crisis. The Gurdaspur district administration stated that a large number of students and teachers were stranded, and NDRF along with other rescue teams have been deployed. Evacuation efforts are being carried out on a war footing.