Alappuzha: Students of the Alappuzha Medical College have approached the Kerala High Court over the inordinate delay in restoring the college’s compound wall, which was demolished for the construction of the national highway. The affected stretch includes the hostels within the campus.

The demolition has left the area vulnerable, with stray dogs and anti-social elements gaining easy access, students allege. Concerned about their safety, particularly female students, petitioners approached the High Court citing serious security threats.

The issue is not limited to the medical college. Several schools along the highway are facing similar concerns. At the Ambalapuzha KK Kunchupilla Memorial High School, ganja was seized from the campus. The episode came as a wake-up call for authorities amid ongoing efforts to combat drug abuse in schools.

In response to mounting security risks, some institutions have erected temporary fences using tin sheets, funded through contributions from Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), local bodies, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) allocations. However, schools that cannot mobilise such funds remain exposed.

District Panchayat’s Education Standing Committee Chairperson MV Priya confirmed that schools were asked to erect temporary fencing before the academic year began. She added that the Public Works Department is currently preparing estimates to rebuild the compound walls.

The crisis, however, stems from the state government’s failure to distribute compensation funds that NHAI had already disbursed for this purpose.

Where did the ₹15 crore go?
The National Highways Authority had transferred ₹15.22 crore to the state’s Finance Department as compensation for acquiring land and demolishing the walls of government institutions, including schools, the medical college, hospitals and a village office. While the amount was credited in full with much of it over two years ago, neither was it allocated to the concerned departments nor was construction undertaken.

It has now been three years since the compound wall of the Alappuzha Medical College was removed. Recently, the High Court issued an ultimatum for beginning reconstruction within three months.

According to officials, 820 metres of wall need to be rebuilt. Although NHAI had paid ₹36 lakh for this, the estimated cost has now ballooned to ₹1.70 crore. The revised plan includes constructing a six-foot-high wall and two arches.

Authorities justify the cost hike by citing the marshy terrain behind the campus, which they claim will require an expensive foundation. Meanwhile, doctors and students continue to anxiously await how the wall will be built.

What wrong did the students do?
1. Ambalapuzha KK Kunchupilla Memorial High School: The school has had no compound wall for the last two years. Located adjacent to a bus stop, its open grounds allow unrestricted entry. Just four days ago, police entered the campus at night after spotting suspicious activity. They found four young men packing two kilograms of ganja into smaller packets. The suspects managed to flee easily. After all, there were no compound walls to scale over.

2. Pattanakkad Government Higher Secondary School: One and a half years have passed since its compound wall was pulled down. The National Highways Authority paid ₹77.67 lakh to the state government during land acquisition, and nearly half of the school buildings adjacent to the wall may also need to be demolished. The school management committee has requested repeatedly the district panchayat to at least restore the wall, citing constant nuisance from antisocial elements. Committee Vice-Chairman V M Mahesh lamented that there has been little to no progress.