6 govt schools in Delhi submerged in knee-deep water, classes shift online

A notice from the deputy director revealed the problem has persisted since 2020, affecting more than 14,000 students annually.

Six government schools in northwest Delhi’s Nithari village have been battling knee-deep waterlogging for nearly a week, forcing hundreds of students to miss classes as campuses remain submerged.

Inundated campus of a school in Nithari.(HT photo)

The Directorate of Education (DoE) on Thursday admitted the flooding has worsened this monsoon, citing poor drainage, nearby ponds, and the low-lying location of the school buildings.

A notice from the deputy director revealed the problem has persisted since 2020, affecting more than 14,000 students annually. School staff said stagnant water, fed by high groundwater levels and uneven road gradients, has pooled inside compounds and classrooms. “The campuses are hazardous… flooded inside and out,” one official said, adding that the schools are currently shut indefinitely. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said they had been instructed not to discuss the issue with the press.

Education activist and lawyer Ashok Agarwal shared videos on X showing gates submerged in muddy water, saying closures began Monday. “Authorities ignore this every year,” he told HT. “Students are pushed into online classes, but most don’t have the devices or internet needed.”

Parents described the disruption as a yearly ordeal. One father, whose 14-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter attend two of the affected schools, said: “They haven’t been able to go to school for days. Tests are due soon, and with today’s rain, they may have to be online. I’m worried. They need proper preparation for mid-terms.”

Shaheen, whose son Nadeem is in Class 10, said water from a nearby lake floods the area during monsoon. “This has been happening for five years. Roads and schools get waterlogged, drains don’t work, and snakes have been spotted. My son hasn’t been to school for four or five days. Online classes are better than nothing, but less learning happens than in person.”

Residents said even recent construction has not eased the problem. “The area is low-lying, and one new building still floods the same as the old ones,” one resident noted.

The flooding has also hit parts of northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri, where residents waded through knee-deep water on main streets.

Education minister Ashish Sood blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for aggravating the situation in Nithari. “This crisis began in 2020 because AAP concretised a local pond. Who was in power then when students first suffered?” he asked, promising an inquiry.

AAP rejected the allegation, pointing to BJP’s control of multiple administrative bodies. “BJP’s four-engine government has no interest in working. Under Arvind Kejriwal, not a single case of waterlogging in schools was recorded. Today, under BJP’s watch, even Lutyens’ Delhi is seeing rainwater seep into schools,” an AAP spokesperson said.