Part of makeshift school for kids in slums razed in Mayur Vihar

A senior PWD official said: “The drive against the illegal encroachment took place by PWD along with the district magistrate. More drives to clear the area of illegal construction will be taken as and when orders are received.”

The makeshift school has three centres which Naresh, Vikram, and Deb separately run.

The school consists of around 800 children with each centre teaching around 200 of them in separate batches through the day.

While Naresh’s centre was demolished around 4 pm on Wednesday, his brothers said they fear that their centres will be the next. Naresh said wooden chairs, tables and the tin shed under which students used to study have been demolished. “The children are now forced to sit on the ground in the cold,” Naresh said.

He added that the students hail from slums near the river. One of the two libraries, which was supposed to be inaugurated in a few days, has also been destroyed in the demolition drive, he said. The centre runs mostly through donations. “Most of the structure here is eco-friendly and libraries have solar panels. It will take time to reconstruct,” Naresh said.

“We have teachers of all subjects for classes till 8, and computer classes are held where the children learn how to use laptops,” he said. College students doubled up as teachers for a stipend.

One of the students at the centre, 15-year-old Suhani, said that studying in the open during the winter is distressing. “Nothing is left of our school playground. I don’t feel like coming here anymore,” she said. “I have never had access to a library where there were as many books. My parents could never afford me a stationery box, let alone books,” she said.

Deb said they kept all chairs, tables, and stationery from the other centres inside a warehouse to prepare for another demolition.

“Many of the books and uniforms were given to us by charity organisations or bought from our own funds,” Naresh said.