Amphan-ravaged Anganwadi Centre lies in neglect, classes suspended
The Statesman | 29 August 2025
The Anganwadi centre at Khoyramari Char in Zirat gram panchayat, which was severely damaged during the cyclone Amphan, continues to stand as a stark reminder of the destruction left behind. Even today, the centre remains in a deplorable state: the roof is damaged and covered with polythene sheets as shelter against heat and rain; doors and windows are broken; the floor is unfit for students to sit on; and there is no proper kitchen to prepare meals in a hygienic environment.
Parents have stopped sending their children to the centre, as the debris have become a breeding ground for rodents and a shelter for harmful reptiles. Studies have long been discontinued and now parents and students only come once to collect the mid-day meal.
The centre’s cook complained that it is extremely difficult to prepare meals under such unfavourable and unhygienic conditions.
Parents of the affected children said: “We are very poor, with limited means to send our children to other schools. A major part of the building was destroyed during Amphan, and since then education has come to a standstill. We, along with the Anganwadi centre head, have approached several concerned departments many times, but all assurances and promises have gone in vain.”
Ranjan Dhara, president of Hooghly zilla parishad, said the matter has been taken into consideration. “A meeting was held and various proposals have been drawn up for the reconstruction of the Anganwadi centre,” he stated.
On the other hand, Suresh Sau, general secretary of Hooghly district BJP, criticised the state of affairs. “The education system in West Bengal has collapsed. Many Anganwadi centres and school buildings are in a deplorable state, where accidents could happen at any time. Mid-day meals are being cooked in unhygienic conditions. Both the local and district administrations are indifferent to the pathetic state of Anganwadi centres and schools,” he alleged.