& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

School of Poison

Smog thins, but not enough

Pinaki Roy
The eagerly awaited recess bell finally rang and the children ran out of the classrooms in joy. Some boys started playing cricket on the school premises, while some of the girls immediately walked to the pickle vendor. Others were watching the game and chatting.
But die environment was not as good as the joyous break of a children's school looked. The premises were foggy and the day seemed cloudy. It was not usual winter fog but the industrial smogs coming out from nearby re-rolling mills. Despite repeated reports there is no significant change in the situation of Bakchar Govt Primary School. Once most of the students used to attend classes wearing masks and now they don't wear it any more.
The truth is the polluted smogs are still chocking the school and the residential areas around.
Asked about the situation, Md Sirajuddin, the newly appointed headmaster who joined the school six months ago, said, "The situation has improved " He said he has heard the situation was worst earlier.
But the students have the same complaints that they feel problems due to smog.
"Though the level of smog has decreased a little we fee) problems in our throat and often suffer from cough," said Sharmin Akhter Sumana, student of class V. Fatema Akhter of class IV supported her.
It was 12:30pm yesterday when this correspondent was talking to the students. Smog from Rani Steel Mill and A) Islam Steel and Re-rolling Mill was coming out as usual. Bui smog from Sun Re-rolling Mill was less this time.
The serious hazardous environment has led to s significant fall in the numbei of students at the school.
A few years ago the schoo had around 1,600 students
he number came down to round 1,000 in 2007 and now oughly 600 children are there, he school authorities say.
Locals say in the last one lecade a number of heavy nills including steel re-rolling ind textile mills were estab ished around the schoo) ounded in 1964.
The students are mostly rom the families of low-ncome group including small raders, rickshaw-pullers, /endors, industry workers and lay labourers living in Telkol, Ftasulpur, Bakchar and Garments Colony.
"The smog enters our „ houses as well,’ asserted Raihan of class four
The Dally Star ran four reports, excluding this one. over the years depicting the schools situation. The Department of Environment (DoE), after one of the reports was run, issued notices to the industries to install fume extraction system.
Some industry owners reportedly installed it but the situation has not changed much.
The Ministry of Education on the other hand transferred the concerned assistant education officer, Nazmunnahar Begum, to Manikganj for not performing her duty properly
Since then the education ministry allows the children to take lessons in the polluted environment and has not taken another step in this regard.