Gurgaon: An eight-day inspection of 24 govt schools in Nuh by Cockroach Janta Party has found evidence of drug use inside campuses.Used syringes, foil like the type used for smack, cannabis rolling papers and discarded tobacco products were discovered in about 70% of the schools, CJP national spokesperson Sudhir Sangwan said Wednesday, adding that a vial labelled ‘Pheniramine Maleate Injection IP’ was among the findings.The outfit said drug paraphernalia and bottles believed to be of cough syrup were also found at a PM Shri School in Ferozepur Namak.CJP volunteer Mubasshir pointed out that the office of the block education officer was located next to the school. He said better security was necessary to ensure outsiders did not enter the premises.The village head of Ferozepur Namak said this was of particular concern because around 150 residents were HIV-positive. “When we have so many people living with HIV, finding used syringes and an injectable medicine inside a school is very worrying. The administration needs to find out how such material is reaching the school and whether the campus is being used by outsiders,” he said.At Primary School Khanpur, the team reported finding foil, rolling papers, and discarded bidis and cigarettes in an abandoned section of the campus. Similar material was found at Govt Senior Secondary School, Kheli, in a part of the building described as condemned.Sangwan said the repeated discoveries pointed to gaps in monitoring, particularly in unused portions of school buildings. “If damaged blocks are not secured, these spaces can be misused by outsiders,” he said.Dr Tushar Tayal, the associate director of internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, said discarded syringes and vials posed a significant public health risk. “Accidental needle-stick injuries can expose people to blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Proper disposal is essential.”Regarding pheniramine maleate, he said it was an antihistamine used to relieve allergic symptoms. “It can cause drowsiness, particularly when taken inappropriately or in amounts higher than prescribed. Using it for its sedative effects can lead to serious adverse impact,” he said.The inspection also highlighted infrastructure and staffing concerns. CJP claimed that more than 50% of the classrooms across the 24 schools were severely damaged, abandoned or structurally compromised, adding that functional seating capacity was only around 20% of the requirement.The organisation said some schools had entire blocks containing 10 to 20 classrooms lying unused. At Jogipur Primary School, around 60% of children were staying away because of fears over a deteriorating roof, the volunteers said.CJP also claimed that nearly 90% of the primary teachers had been deployed on SIR-related duties. At Primary School Khanpur, it said two of the three sanctioned teachers were away on SIR work, forcing students to rely on locally arranged adhyapak sahayaks.At one school, CJP reported that midday meals were being prepared over firewood because an LPG cylinder was unavailable. It said a cylinder was supplied within an hour after the team contacted the district education officer and the education department’s junior engineer.The organisation further claimed that none of the 24 schools had a dedicated sanitation worker or chowkidar.CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said, “Govt needs to upgrade the level of education and needs to raise funds. Not even basic amenities are properly provided in these schools.”Nuh deputy commissioner Akhil Pilani told TOI, “We will inspect these schools and necessary action will be taken.”
