Schools to turn hawker-free zones

Security guards also to be deployed at North Corporation institutes

North Delhi Municipal Corporation is taking a host of measures to provide foolproof security to children in its primary schools. It has decided to remove hawkers around the schools, increase the height of school wall and deploy private security guards outside all the schools from April.

The decision comes close on the heels of alleged rape of a seven-year-old student on the school premises in Mongolpuri area of north Delhi last month. Corporation’s education committee passed the orders on Wednesday to implement the new measures at the earliest.

Rekha Gupta, chairperson of the committee said no hawker selling eatables will be allowed in the vicinity of corporation schools. The rules will be applicable within a radius of half-a-kilometre of the school, Gupta added.

“Principals have been ordered to ensure that no such hawkers function in the area. They would report the matter to the department officers concerned if they require any assistance to remove hawkers,” Gupta said.

The decision has been taken to provide maximum security for students apart from ensuring that students don’t eat unhygienic food, the chairperson added.

“The decision to remove the hawkers will not affect the students as midday meal is served in all the schools. Moreover, the makeshift eateries and hawkers sell unhygienic food. There is no check on the quality of food sold by them,” she added.

The civic body has also decided to raise the height of  school walls.

“Most of the schools have a six-foot high boundary wall. The corporation has decided to raise its height by around four feet. Two-foot high iron fencing will be done on the top of which another two-foot high fencing will be done with barbed wires,” said Gupta.

Private security guards will be deployed outside all the schools from April. The officials said they will initially hire guards from the Delhi government-approved security agency. Later on, the corporation will follow open bidding process.

There are 788 primary schools in North Corporation’s limits in which around 4.5 lakh students study.