Hyderabad: Students at the Victoria Memorial Home here are living in fear as a lack of a compound wall for the institution is allowing drug users and snakes to enter the premises and roam about freely. The reptiles are in fact finding their way into the hostel dormitories during the monsoon, all with no permanent solution from the institution’s side.
Authorities say that the issues exist partly due to ill maintained hostels which lie in a dilapidated state. Although the management conducts cleaning drives in the area behind the hostels, sporadic incidents of vipers venturing into the hostel have been reported in the recent past.
Addressing the issue, Victoria Memorial Home school superintendent Lakshmi Parvathi said, “The snakes have been sighted in the main building and boys dormitories. The snakes are commonly spotted in the grounds when children are out to play.”
This is prevalent issue with vipers being sighted every 10-15 days despite cleaning drives being conducted by the school authorities. However there are no incidents of snake bites that have been reported since the attendants and security guards have been dealing with the vipers. As per the school authorities at least five snakes were killed during a recent cleaning drive.
Additionally, students in the girls’ hostel also face safety issues especially during the monsoon season with snakes sneaking into the dormitories. The management said it conducts cleaning drives in the area behind the hostels, but sporadic incidents of vipers venturing into the hostel are reported.
Since Victoria Memorial Home is spread over 70 acres, it is difficult to secure the whole premises; which give a free pass to a few drug addicts from the surrounding areas who enter the place. Most of whom venture into the property late in the evening. It poses a threat to students, however school authorities maintained that children are accompanied to the ground by the staff from 5-6:30 pm.
“Following the activity hours, a head count of students is done after which they are either seated at the mess or sent to their dormitories. Hence there safety is ensured,” said the Victoria Memorial Home superintendent.
Established in 1903 by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan (1869-1911), the Victoria Memorial in Saroornagar is spread over more that 70 acres of land. The site was inaugurated on February 14 1905 and was named ‘Victoria Memorial Orphanage.’ However, in 1953 the structure was renamed ‘Victoria Memorial Home’ following a request by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
