Disaster-hit Taxila Public School resurrects in Rudraprayag

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 6

The Doon School headmaster, Dr Peter McLaughlin, inaugurated the new building of Taxila Public School at Chakha in Rudraprayag district here today.

The building of Taxila Public School was destroyed on June 16, 2013 due to flash floods that had claimed thousands of lives. The staff, children and parents of The Doon School have constructed the school building.

The guest of honour during the inauguration ceremony was Lakshmi Rana, Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh of Rudraprayag, who along with Dr Peter McLaughlin cut the ribbon.

It was the autumn of 2013 when The Doon School decided to rebuild Taxila Public School, which served 175 underprivileged children. Going beyond donating food, water, clothing or money, the school community felt that it should step forward. Once the initial rescue and relief operations were over, the school dedicated itself to a role in the long term reconstruction of the state. In September 2013, over 200 Doon School students and teachers visited several disaster-hit villages on a reconnaissance mission, which included digging debris filled buildings. The buildings where they took up work included a government school as well. They set up a medical camp, extended emotional support to the bereaved families and rebuilt foundations of bridges washed away by swollen rivers.

It took The Doon School two and a half years to raise funds and rebuild Taxila Public School on a high and safe ground as its long-term project. It cost approximately Rs 1 crore on the building and furnishing. Finding a suitable land was the most challenging task. Five villagers came forward and donated land. The school also bought a chunk of land from a landholder, who needed money to make a new beginning after the flash floods.

Students visited Rudraprayag several times to help in the construction of the new building. Over the years, students made hollow bricks, build retaining walls and did masonry work. They also formed human chains to carry tonnes of building material to the new construction site across the narrow bridge rebuilt to replace the one washed away in the floods.

Teachers and students of Taxila Public School were huddled in crowded tents and two corrugated iron sheds through the monsoon and bitterly cold winter. Taxila School Principal Om Prakash Benjwal never lost hope, and his spirit motivated teachers and pupils of The Doon School to fulfill their promise.

The Doon School deployed technical experts from within the Dosco (alumni) community and the school’s engineering and other departments to complete the project. A member of Doon School’s Board of Governors donated Rs 18 lakh.

As the Doon School students and masters engaged themselves in the project, they were joined by Round Square schools across India and South Asia and the Gulf region. Over 200 students and teachers from 10 Indian schools such as Mayo College, Ajmer; Daly College, Indore; MGD, Jaipur; Vivek High, Chandigarh; Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior; participated in the project. Besides, schools from Oman and Dubai also participated over the years.

Over 80 girls and boys from Round Square schools were present at the inauguration ceremony of the resuscitated Taxila Public School. Round Square Schools, through the Friends of Round Square charity, also donated Rs 15 lakh for construction and furnishing the new school.

The Doon School Headmaster said, “Of all the achievements of The Doon School during my tenure, this is the one which I am probably most proud of.”