Berhampur: To facilitate cleaning and restoration of schools inundated in the recent flood after cyclone Arnab, the Ganjam district administration has decided to keep schools shut till Nov 7, according to an order issued by district education officer (DEO) Ajay Kumar Sahu on Wednesday. As per the preliminary report, 498 out of 3,890 schools across the district were submerged in the floodwater of river Rushikulya and its tributaries.The schools in Aska (43), Dharakote (20) and Purushottampur (19) blocks have been worst affected in the floods. The computer systems, science laboratories, books in libraries, textbooks, sports equipment and the rice stocked for the mid-day meals in several schools were damaged in the floodwater, sources said. “Debris from most schools has been removed by engaging labourers,” said the DEO. The schools are shut since Oct 17 for puja vacation and as a precautionary measure for the cyclone.Teachers and other staff of several schools have joined in removing debris, silt and garbage from the classrooms and premises. “Our school was submerged by floodwater of around 15 feet. The classrooms were full of silt,” said Rajani Rani Dash, headmistress of 109-year-old Harihar High School, Aska. They had no time to shift books, computer systems and science equipment as water rushed suddenly into the town, she said.“During the last five days, we are cleaning the classrooms by engaging labourers. As the local labourers are not available, we brought them from Hinjili,” said Meenakhi Nayak, principal of RT Higher Secondary School, Pratapur, in Purushottampur block.Meanwhile, an eight-member central team inspected the damage caused by floods and landslides in Ganjam district. Led by Ravi Shankar from the ministry of home affairs, the team inspected the river banks, sand casting on standing crops, irrigation projects, roads, bridges, electric poles, infrastructure facilities of the sub-divisional hospital in Aska, and collapsed houses in Aska, Purushottampur and Dharakote blocks.Revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), southern division, Vijay Amrut Kulange, and Ganjam collector Keerthi Vasan V, who accompanied the central team, briefed them about the loss caused by heavy rain and subsequent floods in river Rushikulya and its tributaries. Ganjam was the worst hit, with over one lakh people, the standing paddy crops on around one lakh hectares and small businesses in Aska and Sheragada affected. The team earlier visited Gajapati, another affected district, on Tuesday.The central team is scheduled to hold a discussion with the state govt in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The central govt is expected to sanction flood assistance to the affected district, as per their recommendations, sources said.Meanwhile, social activists urged govt to declare the flood a “national disaster” and compensate the affected farmers. “The extreme rain and subsequent floods have broken the backbone of the farmers. They should be compensated with adequate assistance beyond the norms of the relief code,” said N Damburu Reddy, ex-zilla parishad member. Prafulla Samantara, a social activist, urged govt to form a “Ganjam district reconstruction authority”.