The roof of a house-cum-anganwadi collapsed at Gowal-Khola.
CANACONA
The roof of a residential house, which also partially used as an anganwadi, collapsed due to heavy rains in Khola late Wednesday night.
Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa and officers from Women and Child Development department rushed to the site early Thursday morning and took immediate steps to shift the Angawadi to a new site.
According to the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) at Canacona, the roof collapsed in the portion of the house which is being used as a residence, due to heavy rains late Wednesday night.
“Though the roof of that portion of the house being used for the anganwadi children has not given away or fell down, water has seeped into the room used for 26 tiny tots of Gawal-Khola Anganwadi. The walls of the room housing the Anganwadi kids have, however, developed cracks,” the officer added.
Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa visited the site and also sought to arrange alternate place to house the Anganwadi. It was finally decided to shift the Gowal-Khola anganwadi to a club house in the area.
According to sources in the Women and Child Development office, which manages the anganwadis, the Gawal-Khola anganwadi has been functioning in one room of a private house, while the other rooms are occupied by the family for some years at a monthly rent of Rs 1,000.
Since the house has not been maintained properly, the Canacona CDPO had frequently requested the owner to repair the house. When this was not done, the CDPO informed the panchayat and had made efforts to look for alternate accommodation to house the anganwadi.
A nearby primary school and a government high school were approached, but the anganwadi continued to run from the private premises. The heavy rains finally brought down the roof of the house.
According to sources, there are 83 anganwadis in different parts of Canacona taluka and most are operating in private houses.
