Orissa cyclone relief effort
Report on Integral School of Bhubaneswar.

See also article, photos, proposal to rebuild schools, and how to donate. (Click on a photo to enlarge it for viewing).

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The  Integral  School  at  Bhubaneswar    (   Sri  Aurobindo
Institute  of    Integral   Education,    Tapobhumi,     Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar 751030, INDIA) is the First School of its kind in Orissa, and  was established on 15 July 1970.   The school  has nearly 1,000  students and 47  teachers and   prepares students for examinations conducted by Board of Secondary  Education, who have been  appearing it since  1980 onwards. The success rates have been consistently excellent, being usually 95 per cent plus, with the majority being in the First Division.

The  purpose  of   this   private   school  is   to  experiment   the implementation   of  the futuristic concept of  Integral Education, as per the teachings of  Sri  Aurobindo  and  The  Mother. The concept     of    Integral    Education    is    to   aim  at   a  more comprehensive and allround education of the child, (which have five   aspects,   namely   Mental,  Physyca,  Vital,  Psychic and Spiritual). The presence of the Sacred  Relics of Sri Aurobindo in  the   school campus  promises  conductive enviornment  and opportunity for the psychic and spiritual  growth of the students and teachers, (to "Break the seals onthe dim  soul of  man  and kindle her fire in the closed heart of things").

Cyclone Damages:  The  Super-Cyclone on  28-29   October 1999  hovered over  Bhubaneswar  for  nearly  30   hours,  and lashed  all   trees and   buildings   in  the  Khandagiri   residential Campus of this school. Several of the buildings were   severely damaged; some   beyond  the  scope of economic repairs, thus  warranting a reconstruction.  At  least  60  percent   of  the  big  trees   in  the campus  were   uprooted  and  destroyed.  A brief  note  on  the damages is given below:

(A) Boy's Hostel: This Hostel suffered the maximum  damage, rendering  it  unfit  for  safe  accommodation. The  inmates from these  rooms   had   to   be    immediately   shifted   to  alternate temporary    accommodation   in   the  campus. The walls  of all rooms  (nearly 1500 Sq. Ft.)  have  cracked  up  and   the  roof (assembled of experimental pre-fab  RCC sections )  has   been leaking profusely, all over the area. A detailed investigation  has revealed that this structure will have to be fully dismantled, since it is beyond any means of economic repairs.

(B) Nursery S chool: The roof of this building (nearly 800  Sq. Ft.), made of un-sized timber and asbestos sheet, was severely damaged by the   lashing  of  the  cyclone. The  walls  too  have cracked  extensively,   leaving  the  building  beyond   economic repairs. Thus,  temporarily K.G  classes  are being   held  in  the main  Assembly  Hall  (Jubilee Hall)   and  other  such  available places, thus disturbing those routine activities.

(C) Staff Hostel: The walls and the RCC  roof  beam   of  this building  has been affected  by  the  cyclone,   and  heavy  Fault Lines have appeared, making the building comparatively unsafe. However, this building  is  still  being occupied  and   used, since there has been no water leakage yet, from its roof.

(D) Kitchen: The hostel kitchen consists of  a   structure,  made out  of  unplastered  walls  and   tin-roof  on  rough  timber. This building  could  not   stand the fury  of  the  cyclone,  resulting  in damages to the roof and the walls. After minor temporary patch repairs, this is being used in the interim dry season.

(E) Dining Room: Same as above (D).

(F) Staircase,  Pump  Room,  etc.:   These   minor  structures mainly had their asbestos roof blown out, exposing the internals to weather.

(G) General: Many of the glass (and plastic) panes used in the main   school  building,  Jubilee  Hall  and  Relics   Center, were damaged. More than 70 per cent of the old bigger  trees, which contributed to  the  serene  environment  of  the  campus,   were either uprooted or destroyed down to stumps.

RECOVERY: The  school  funds  has absolutely   no means of rebuilding the above damages, barring  replacing some    broken glass  panes  and  similar   minor   repairs.  The only   source  of income  of  the school  is the  modest school fees (Rs.130/- per month) that  is charged   from  the students, and  the money thus collected gets wholly distributed among the teachers ( and other menial staff) as their modest honorarium. Thus, there is no other recourse  than  to  seek  the  required    substantial   funds   from external   sources,   in  the  interest  of  continuing   the excellent service  to  the  society  in  preparing  the  future citizens.  ( The Government  sources  have  not  responded   at  all, and are not expected to be of  help to this private   school, in  preference  to their own schools.)

ASSISTANCE: 
                     Sri   Aurobindo  Progress    Trust,   a     public charitable Trust  registered   in 1994, is a body mainly of retired professionals and  technologists of  Bhubaneswar, for extending their time, energy  and  expertise in the service  of the  Mother's works. In agreement with Sri  Aurobindo Sanskruti Sansad, the managing body for the school, this Trust have been trying to  be of help in this situation  resulting  out of  the  cyclone. The Trust has been   trying to make contacts with friends, within India and abroad,  who  have a  will  for  help  to  finance  the   rebuilding projects, and to redress the damages sustained. This  Trust  has recently   constructed  the  Relics  Center (nearly 2500 Sq. Ft.), funded   entirely  with  generous  local  donations,  ( and  is  thus conversant with local civil works).

INVITATION:
We invite all  friends and  well-wishers  with goodwill, to come forward to collaborate with  us  in  this period  of  financial difficulties . This  prestigious   Integral  School  located   in  the capital city of  the  state,  and  started   30  years  ago  with  the Divine Mother's Blessings, and (now) with  the Presence of  the Sacred Relics of Sri Aurobindo in its blessed campus, seeks the financial support neede to  rebuild  its  lost/damaged   buildings, and regain its normal  routine school activities.  Please   show us the way, to avail the needed  funds  to  finance and   execute the above projects. It is a  great opportunity  for  the donors to join and collaborate in a project of the Divine Mother. All assistance will be gratefully  received, and  properly accounted  for, to  the satisfaction of the donors.

FUNDING:

The estimated expense for the rebuilding jobs, narrated above, comes to Rs.48.00 Lakhs (=$111,630). Our friends in Minnesota were the first to donate Rs.2.20 Lakhs ($5,000), towards the Boy's Hostel works, with which the work on the Hostel Project is in progress. In addition, friends in California have donated Rs.3.44 Lakhs ($8,000) towards the Nursery School project. Brief report (and progress pictures) on these two projects are enclosed. These donations have enabled us to start the reconstruction activities. Much more funds are needed for proceeding with, and completing the total scope of the reconstruction projects.

Unfortunately, there has been a sharp escalation in the local prices of essential building materials, during the last 7-8 months. This is likely to be due to the effect of difficult supply-demand equation in post-cyclone market, especially with items like bricks, sand, cement, metal, chip and bazri. Some costs have jumped nearly 50% upwards. As per our estimates (in Aug-2000), the overall impact of these price increases will press the project costs upwards by nearly 15%. All efforts are being made, to look for ideas for cost control, consistent with quality of work and utility of the buildings.

This school, this concept of education, and giving practical shape to Sri Aurobindo's teachings are worthy experiments. We seek cooperation and collaboration from all friends of good will, in the interest of future humanity.

We await your kind response.

Contact Address:
Hrushikesh Acharya,
(Secretary, Sri Aurobindo Progress Trust)
(B-4, Palash-Palli, Bhubaneswar 751020, Orissa, India.)
Phone: +91-674-591311
Email:hacharya@netscape.net

Encl: PROGRESS REPORTS: (As on October 03, 2000)

Pictures:- Progress pictures taken at various stages of work, and some are featured here, as examples.

A. Boy's Hostel:

Soil  was sampled  and  tested, to  achieve  a   safe foundation  design,   so  as  to  avoid   the   failures  sustained  in  adjacent older     buildings  in  the   locality  (  suspected   to  be  due  to   weak   foundations ). Foundation  work  was  done ( for three rooms only, out of  ten rooms in  ground  floor, to meet urgent needs) using dense Laterite stone blocks, followed by a  plinth  beam  in  RCC  (10 July). Foundation cavities were filled  with river  sand .  Brick work  for walls  was   completed   to  lintel  level,  and   RCC  work  of   lintel  completed  (15 Sept). The casting of RCC roof slab was completed on 01 October.

           (Further funds needed:   Rs.12.80 Lakhs for 10  rooms.
Rs.2.30 Lakhs for 3 rooms).

B.Nursery School:

Foundation work was done (22-30 June) using  dense Laterite stone blocks (for 4  class  rooms, a  small office  and 4 toilets), followed by a plinth beam in RCC (10 July). Foundation voids were filled up using river sand. Brick work for super  structure was completed up to lintel level. The RCC casting of lintel was completed (26 Aug). The balance brickwork to roof level was also completed (15 Sept). The casting of  RCC roof slab  was completed on 02 October.

                 (Further funds needed, to complete ground floor = Rs.5.56 Lakhs)

            Thanking you, for your attention.We awaite your kind response.

Updated on :  6th October 2000