"We had to halt our bus service after we ran out of diesel. It has badly affected our classes," said Narayan Puri, the school principal. "We have been buying diesel through black market rather than shut our school completely. With the resumption of school bus service, the classes ran smoothly on Friday," he added.
Most of the schools in Dang are struggling to keep their buses in operation. Studies of around 50 percent of the students in the district will be affected if school buses fail to operate.
Puri further informed that the bus service will have to be halted again if fuel supply does not get normal within a few days. Many schools have been buying fuel from black market from various border points.
"But how long can run school buses using fuel bought in the black market?" said Puri.
Some school buses that are operational carry more students than their capacity. Hence, it has created high risks of bus accidents, said Bhola Nath Yogi, a principal of another school.
Although the local administration has arranged fuel for government offices, schools have been left to fend for themselves.
"We have been requesting to the local administration to help arrange fuel for us," informed Yadav Giri, chairman of Dang chapter of Private and Boarding School School's Organization (PABSON). "But so far our request has gone unheard," he added.
Related story
Govt asks Kathmandu Valley municipalities to register company t...
