GTA asks hill schools not to organize picnics at risky spots

EOI, DARJEELING, 14 DECEMBER 2023 :-The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Education department on Thursday issued instructions to schools in the GTA area, asking them to avoid risky venues when organizing school picnics. 

The GTA direction comes on the heels of a teacher and a student recently drowning in a river while on a school picnic. In a memo issued to the Darjeeling and Kalimpong District Inspectors of the Primary and Secondary Schools, the GTA has directed schools to “avoid risky zone” during picnics. 

The DIs have been requested to circulate the letter to all primary and secondary schools under the GTA. “This is to bring to your notice that an unwanted incident has occurred during the school picnic party of St. Roberts H. S School, Darjeeling last week. In this connection, we would like to instruct all the schools under GTA to avoid risky zones like river side, landslide zone etc. during school picnic party in the coming future,” the letter states. 

On December 9, Nirmal Bhutia and Priyanjal Chettri, a teacher and student, respectively died after drowning in Relli Khola in the Kalimpong district while trying to save another student from drowning. 

The incident occurred in the afternoon that day when about 50 students of Class 8 and five students of class 12 aswell as five teachers of St. Roberts HigherSecondary School had gone for a picnic. 

According to witnesses, 13-year-old student Umang Rai had gone to take a bath in the river and one of his friends saw him drowning. To save him, 50-year-old Nirmal and 13-year-old Priyanjal.