Revamp of flood hit 793 schools to cost Rs. 1 b

The bad weather that prevailed in the months of January and February has caused damage to 793 schools that need an estimated amount of Rs. 1029 million to repair them.

Reconstruction of buildings, class rooms, sanitary facilities, reconstruction of retention walls and repairs to play grounds and pavilions are the identified needs of the hour to ensure the proper continuation of schools in the affected districts.

The country’s Central, Uva, North-Central, Eastern and Southern Provinces were severely affected by torrential rain, flood and earth slips at the beginning of this year.

The government has already set aside Rs. 33 billion to carry out livelihood and relief programmes as over one million people were made homeless during this period also causing damage to farmlands making the country to lose around 17 percent of paddy production in the Yala season.

The Education Ministry has estimated that the repair/reconstruction of the damaged 793 schools will cost Rs. 1029 million. The government has decided to attend to these needs on an urgent basis.

The number of schools damaged in each province is — Central 15, Uva 17, North Central 153, Eastern 604, southern 2 and western 2.