No Toilets, No Classes: 200 Chhattisgarh Students Block Road Over School Facilities

Around 200 students of a government school in Chhattisgarh's Durg district staged a road blockade after their complaints regarding the lack of proper toilets and a boundary wall remained unresolved.

The students of Swami Atmanand Utkrisht Hindi Medium School in Selud village began their protest at around 9 am. They initially locked the school gates before gathering at Bajrang Chowk on the Durg-Patan main road, blocking traffic and causing long queues of vehicles.

According to the students, the school has been facing the problem of inadequate toilet facilities for around two years despite repeated complaints and assurances. The lack of usable toilets has reportedly made attending school particularly difficult for female students.

Students said they were protesting not for an additional facility but for basic infrastructure that they considered essential for a safe and functional learning environment. They also raised concerns over the absence of a boundary wall at the school.

The road blockade continued until the local tehsildar arrived at the protest site and spoke with the students. After hearing their concerns, the official assured them that toilets would be constructed and that the school premises would be inspected to identify a suitable location for the work.

Following the assurance, the students ended their protest and returned to school, allowing traffic on the Durg-Patan road to resume. However, the students said they would wait for construction work to begin and could raise the issue again if their demands remained unaddressed.

The incident drew further attention as Durg is the home district of Chhattisgarh School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav. The minister said the students' demand for proper toilets was justified but alleged that some protests were being encouraged by political or local leaders.

He said the existing toilet at the school had fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance and stated that instructions had been issued to address the problem. New toilets are expected to be constructed under the Ji Ram Ji scheme.

The protest has once again highlighted concerns over basic infrastructure in government schools. Students and education experts have repeatedly emphasised that access to safe toilets, proper classrooms, boundary walls and other essential facilities is an important part of creating a secure and effective learning environment.