Ranchi: Potholes, waterlogged or slippery stretches, and unfinished road excavation outside several schools in the city have become a major safety concern, with hundreds of students and parents facing difficult commutes every day.The worst-hit locations include the approach road to Surendranath Centenary School and Cluny Convent High School, where an ongoing pipeline project has left a large stretch dug up for the last few days. It was, however, filled today but left the road slippery or difficult to walk through.Similar complaints have also emerged from roads leading to Oxford Public School in Bahu bazaar, Swami Sahajanand Bridgeford School and Vivekananda Vidya Mandir School near Dhurwa, where damaged roads are causing inconvenience and increasing the risk of accidents.Concerned over the deteriorating condition, a few students of Surendranath Centenary School have also written to the district administration recently demanding immediate repairs before the situation worsens during the monsoon. According to school authorities, nearly 5,500 students attending Surendranath Centenary School and Cluny Convent High School in Kokar area use the affected road every day.Surendranath Centenary School principal Samita Sinha said the issue directly impacts student safety. “Thousands of students and parents use this road daily. The stretch has been dug up for pipeline work and left unfinished, posing a serious risk to children. We request the administration to complete the work and restore the road at the earliest so that normal movement can resume safely,” she said.Parents said frequent waterlogging hides the depth of potholes, making it difficult for two-wheelers and school buses to navigate. “My son slipped while getting off the school van because the road was submerged after rain. It is becoming dangerous for children,” said Ritika Verma, a parent.Smriti, a Class IV student of Vivekananda Vidya Mandir, said, “School buses have to slow down at every pothole, and many students who come on bicycles or scooters are scared of falling.”Mayor Roshni Khalkho said Ranchi Municipal Corporation had earlier proposed making it mandatory for agencies to obtain an NOC before undertaking road excavation, but the provision has not been implemented effectively. “I have spoken to the agency and will direct it to resolve the issue at the earliest,” she said.
