Civic school helpless as playground shrinks

Tirupati: This is the sad tale of a municipal corporation school remaining helpless at the shrinking of its playground vital for the students studying in the state run-school in the pilgrim city. It is interesting to note that the corporation itself is found to be responsible for the shrinking playground by taking construction in the open ground meant for the school students for housing some of the offices.

Sri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Municipal High School (SPJNMH) established in 1946 was first functioning in East Mission compound here before it was shifted to the newly constructed building in a sprawling area of 11 acres including 3-acre building in Sarojini Devi Layout in the city. But, many offices one after another coming up in the open place of the school, resulted in the 8-acre vast open place which is being used as school playground shrinking year after year.

Interestingly, the school which is the oldest among the 9 high schools run by municipal corporation and is the only one that has a big playground which now days very rare in urban area like fast grown pilgrim city where every inch of land precious and occupied with buildings. In other words, 44 corporation schools including primary, upper primary and high school are depending on it while district education department also utilising the ground for conducting sports and games competitions and selections.

First, Srisakthi Bhavan of self-help groups came up on the open place, several years back and later government mandal resource centre from where the urban mandal education office is functioning. Besides, these two, part of the ground is given away on lease to Chittoor District Cricket Association further shrinking the school ground.

Unconfirmed sources said Association has not vacated the ground though the lease period was over long back to enable the school gets it ground back. A teacher said even the students of the school are not allowed to utilise the facilities without payment and added that the cricket practicing ground remain beyond the reach of the school students as the school with its very limited resources is unable to make any payment for the sake of its children.

Additional classrooms also constructed on the ground instead of constructing them on the first floor on the existing building, eating away a part of the open ground. Recently, the corporation took up construction of a massive overhead water tank for augmenting drinking water supply in the western part of the pilgrim city, taking some more part of the ground from the possession of the school.

CPM senior leader and alumni of the school Kandarapu Murali said that the ground is useful not only for the school students but to the public more so the children residing in the thickly populated localities around the school. Particularly, there are one dozen slums with no facilities for children to play, he said, adding that it is the only breathing place remaining for the people in the area and it should be preserved intact, he said criticising the corporation permitting construction of offices in the school ground.

Municipal Corporation Commission V Vijay Rama Raju said that there will be no more constructions as the available ground was already tendered for developing facilities for multi-activities including sports, games, cultural under smart city project changing the face of the good old school soon. Besides, the facilities for shuttle, football, volleyball, hockey etc, it will also have other facilities like cycling track, Commissioner said portending a bright future for the school in the coming days.