In Palghar’s rain-lashed Mokhada taluka, nine-year-old Asha no longer sits under the cracked roof of her old classroom. Her relief mirrors that of hundreds of parents across Palghar district after the education department demolished 62 unsafe classrooms in 29 zilla parishad schools. With leaking roofs, falling plaster and walls lined with cracks, these classrooms had become death traps. Not a single student is now seated in a dangerous building, officials stated.

The order came after the then-chief executive officer inspected the schools on January 30, 2024, and directed that unsafe spaces be decommissioned. So far, classrooms in 21 schools have already been demolished, while in others, safe alternative arrangements have been made to ensure students do not face academic loss.