Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 5 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday directed the State Disaster Management Department to identify and report all structurally unsafe buildings across the state, particularly in schools, hospitals, and other public institutions, within two weeks.
The directive was issued during a high-level meeting convened to review the state’s disaster preparedness and infrastructure safety.
It was attended by Ministers K. Rajan (Revenue), K. N. Balagopal (Finance), P. A. Mohammed Riyas (Public Works), V. Sivankutty (General Education), and Veena George (Health), along with Chief Secretary Dr. A. Jayathilak, senior government officials, and District Collectors.
At the meeting, CM Vijayan emphasised that details must be collected on buildings that are either dilapidated and require demolition or in need of urgent repairs.
He further instructed that demolition of school buildings should be prioritised during holidays to minimise disruption to academic activities.
He asked the authorities to ensure that until reconstruction is completed, alternate arrangements for conducting classes must be made with the cooperation of local self-government bodies, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and the Education Department.
The CM also directed that unaided (private sector) school buildings be included in the safety inspection process to ensure comprehensive coverage.
To streamline the reporting and monitoring of such infrastructure, the government will develop dedicated software to log details of hazardous buildings.
Additionally, the Chief Electrical Inspector, in coordination with engineers from the Local Self-Government, Public Works, and Electrical Departments, has been tasked with creating a joint inspection mechanism to assess electrical safety in public buildings.
The main reason why Vijayan has directed for action comes in the wake of the death of a 13-year-old student Mithun, studying in Class VIII at Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam that took place last month.
He was fatally electrocuted while trying to retrieve a slipper from the roof of a cycle shed adjacent to his classroom.
He slipped and came into contact with a low-lying three-phase power line, which led to the tragedy.
The cycle shed was reportedly constructed eight years ago and live power lines was passing above the roof of the shed.
Then there was another incident at the Kottayam Medical College hospital when a lady who went to the toilet died when the block, which was reportedly closed, collapsed.
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