New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood has accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of gross negligence, holding it directly responsible for persistent waterlogging in six government schools in Nithari—a problem that has affected 14,214 students since 2020.
According to Sood, students have been forced to study in classrooms flooded with knee-deep water during the monsoon, with many being sent home. “Our children are paying the price for their wrongdoings,” he said, highlighting that despite repeated appeals from the Education Department since 2020, the Kejriwal-led administration failed to take corrective measures.
Responding to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent tweet claiming “the condition of Delhi is deteriorating badly,” Sood countered, “The very government that once boasted of leading an ‘education revolution’ abandoned Delhi’s schools to decay. Now they expect that in just five and a half months, we should perform miracles.”
An inspection of the affected schools revealed that a pond, which previously served as a natural outlet for rainwater, had been concretized during the AAP government’s tenure, allegedly under pressure from land mafias. Sood suggested this action is the primary cause of repeated waterlogging. The current administration is investigating whether MLA funds were used in the concretization, with “significant revelations” expected soon.
“This Independence Day, we are compelled to close six schools due to knee-deep flooding year after year. The situation also poses risks of electric shocks to students,” Sood warned.
He further criticized the AAP leadership for prioritizing liquor policies over education, stating, “The self-proclaimed father of the education revolution was busy peddling liquor, while our children suffered. The so-called man of development was advocating Bharat Ratna for those embroiled with liquor mafias.”
The Public Works Department (PWD) has been tasked with an immediate investigation to prevent accidents, while urgent repair work is already underway in the affected schools. Additionally, the Education Department will conduct a city-wide asset mapping exercise to assess infrastructure and facilities in all Delhi government schools.
“The hollow claims of development and education reform made by the previous government are being unmasked every day,” Sood said. “Yet, without any shame, AAP leaders continue to shift the blame for the waterlogging crisis onto the current administration.”
