The Delhi government plans to demolish 34 schools to improve safety and infrastructure. In their place, 27 new school buildings will be constructed across the city. An official stated that these new facilities will be built on vacant plots at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore. The construction is expected to be completed within 18 months, with the sites organized into five geographical clusters to facilitate quicker execution and monitoring.
The new school buildings, being constructed on vacant plots at a cost of around Rs 900 crore, are expected to be completed within 18 months.
Of 34 schools identified for demolition, work is underway on 16, while nine cases have been approved. The move follows a citywide digital profiling exercise covering all 1,090 government schools to assess their infrastructure and safety requirements, the official said. He said the profiling has been completed for all 1,090 schools and the education department is now assessing the data to determine the infrastructure improvements required at each school. Every room in the school buildings has been digitised using 360-degree imaging, creating a permanent digital record that allows virtual walkthroughs and can aid planning and decision-making, he said. The Directorate of Education (DoE) has also invited bids from Central government public sector undertakings (PSUs) for appointment as the project management consultant-cum-EPC agency for turnkey construction of the 27 new schools.
Some of these schools have waterlogging issues, while others have safety concerns or are located at sites considered unsuitable for students, the official said. Based on the scientific assessment, school buildings will be categorised for retention, repair, retrofitting or demolition to ensure the safety of students and staff, the official said.
