Repair work at Clarke Road Hindu to start

RICHARDSON DHALAI

REPAIRS to the sewer system at the Clarke Road Hindu Primary School, Penal, are expected to begin this week, as a contract has been awarded by the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL).

The Education Ministry has, however, disputed claims by parents that students have been suffering from nausea, vomiting and other health problems associated with the non-functional sewers.

On Monday, dozens of placard-bearing parents staged a noisy early-morning demonstration to highlight their frustration, saying school was being regularly dismissed at 11.30am each day.

However, in a telephone interview yesterday, an Education Ministry official said both the Occupational Safety & Health Authority and officers from the County Medical Officer had visited the school earlier in the week and had not found any health issues. The official said extensive work had been done on the sewer system in 2015 and the soakaway had been repaired and the pipes changed in 2016. The official said the school’s management had told them the sewer was not overflowing but a tender had still been awarded for repairs ,as the ministry regarded sewer-related issues as being top priority.