Delhi floods: Affected school students can attend classes without books, uniforms for now

NEW DELHI: Children who lost their uniforms and books in the recent floods in the national capital will be allowed to attend classes without it, until new sets of uniforms and textbooks are arranged for them, a statement said. "All the Heads of government schools are hereby directed to ensure that all the flood affected students are provided emotional and moral support to overcome the distress caused by the losses in recent flood," a Directorate of Education (DoE) circular said.

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"They are directed to allow these students to attend the school even without uniform and textbooks until new sets of uniform and textbooks are arranged," it said. The Delhi government circular said many families living on the banks of Yamuna have suffered a lot due to severe flooding in the national capital. "In some families, the entire household goods got washed away. There are many children who have lost their clothes and books in the floods and are in great distress over loss of their possessions and documents. Children are hesitant to go back to school because they don't have books and uniforms," the circular said.

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Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that arrangements for books and clothes will be made by the government for affected children. "Children whose clothes and books were washed away will be provided by the schools,” the chief minister had said in a tweet in Hindi. All government and private schools were closed from July 13 to July 16 after water levels in Yamuna breached the 208 metre-mark following heavy rains in the national capital. Government and private schools in low-lying areas in six districts will remain shut till July 18 and normal classes will resume July 19 onwards, according to officials.