Uttar Pradesh education officials urge swift removal of high‑tension lines hovering over schools

The Basic Education Department of Uttar Pradesh threw a firm warning at the Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) of eleven districts on Saturday, telling them to speed up the removal of high‑tension (HT) power lines that still drape over school premises.

Director of Basic Education Anil Bhushan Chaturvedi, presiding over a review meeting, ordered the BSAs to coordinate urgently with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) and clear the danger as a top priority.

According to the latest data, roughly 2 lakh students studying in 3,890 government primary and upper‑primary schools are still exposed to the risk of a snapped 11,000‑volt line falling onto classrooms. The problem persists despite a massive state‑wide clean‑up that began after a horrifying incident in Balrampur in July 2019, when a broken line struck a school in Utraula tehsil, injuring 55 children.

Prayagraj tops the list with 270 affected schools, followed closely by Jaunpur (267) and Basti (227). Other districts with notable numbers include Azamgarh (172), Ghazipur (169), Sonbhadra (156), Siddharthnagar (136), Jhansi (119), Raebareli (116), Fatehpur (115) and Ballia (102).

When the state launched the survey after the Balrampur tragedy, the tally of schools with HT wires overhead stood at a staggering 9,009. Thanks to ongoing removal work, that figure has dropped to 3,890 – still far from the goal.

“Because high‑tension lines pass above primary and upper‑primary schools, there is a real possibility of accidents,” an official said. “Very soon no school will have this issue,” added Chaturvedi, noting that the department continues to press senior officials in the power sector for swift action.

The message is clear: the safety of children cannot wait. The education department is now pushing for an end to this lingering hazard, hoping that the remaining schools will be cleared of the looming wires well before the next academic year.