An 11-year-old student died on Monday after coming into contact with a high-tension wire on the roof of his school in the Kanaila Dalit Basti of Ballia on Monday. The victim, identified as Arshad, a Class 4 student, had allegedly been sent to the roof to pluck a gourd plant.
“In the event of an accident, compensation is announced, but accountability is rarely fixed. The Ballia incident is part of a systemic crisis. However, teachers remain skeptical. It often feels like a cover-up. The Ballia incident The incident triggered protests by local villagers, who allegedly held teachers hostage for four hours. The situation was brought under control following the arrival of officials,sub divisional magistrate (Sadar) Gopesh Tiwari, basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Manish Kumar Singh, block education officer (BEO) Vishal Yadav, a sub divisional officer from the electricity department and circle officer (City) Satish Kumar Sharma, and police teams from multiple stations.
In July 2019, 55 students suffered burns after a high-tension wire fell onto a government primary school in Balrampur’s Utraula tehsil, prompting a statewide survey that has yet to fully resolve the danger. The incident, however, reignited concerns regarding the safety of government schools in Uttar Pradesh, where thousands of students remain at risk due to high-tension power lines running over school premises.
“Children and staff live in fear, especially during thunderstorms,” said a government teacher in Prayagraj.
Upon contact with the wire, the boy was electrocuted, sparking panic among his classmates. BSA Manish Kumar Singh assured the family that the department would provide financial support, while the electricity department has promised compensation of up to ₹ 4 lakh.
A teacher had directed Arshad to the school’s rooftop, which was dangerously close to an overhead high-tension line, according to the victim’s family.
