Tripura schools reopen today after a week-long closure due to floods

After a week of closure due to flooding, all educational institutions in Tripura Schools in Tripura will reopen from Tuesday (August 27), except those that have been converted into relief camps, an official said on Monday. Following devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that began on August 19, the Tripura government has announced closure of all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, for an indefinite period.

It has been decided that all schools, government, private and government-aided, will reopen on Tuesday, except those schools where relief camps are now operational, said an order signed by Director, Education Department (School), Nripendra Chandra Sharma.

Sharma separately told the media that due to heavy rains and floods, examinations at several institutions have also been postponed. Another order issued by Higher Education Department Director Animesh Debbarma said that after reviewing the situation and as per the decision of the state government, it has now been decided that all government universities and colleges and also private universities and colleges in the state will reopen from Tuesday.

Officials said that due to heavy rains and floods, infrastructure of 209 schools and some colleges and their books, documents and important papers were also damaged. According to the preliminary assessment, property and infrastructure of Education Departments worth Rs 11 crore were damaged due to floods and landslides. These estimates exclude Amarpur subdivision and South Tripura district, which were the worst affected. According to officials, relief centres were set up in 239 schools. Books of over 12,000 students were also damaged due to floods.

Thousands of teachers, non-teaching staff and education department employees have been involved in relief work and distribution of food packets, water and other essential commodities among flood-affected people and inmates of relief camps.