Four days of heavy rain and flooding in the Narayani river have left a school in Bharatpur buried under mud, forcing classes to stop.

The National Basic Primary School in ward 1 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City was inundated when floodwaters carrying thick mud and silt pushed into its classrooms from September 24 to 27.

The sludge has hardened across the floors, making even the simple task of clearing it with shovels difficult. Nearby residents are still clearing mud from their own homes, leaving the school unable to find workers even for paid clean-up work.

Teachers and school staff have been doing what they can themselves, but the job is likely to take much longer without outside help.

The school has sought assistance from the ward office, Bharatpur Metropolitan City, its education division and the Nepali Army, among other agencies. But school officials say they have received assurances rather than actual help, with no personnel sent so far to assist with rescue or clean-up work.

A metropolitan fire engine crew sprayed water over the school’s upper walkway, but the classrooms remain thick with mud.

Headteacher Shanta Adhikari, who has worked at the school since November 2014, said flooding has been an annual problem.

Earlier floods caused the floor of the Grade 3 classroom to sink and become hollow. Former teacher Gayatri Sharma once fell through the weakened floor inside the classroom.

The room remains unsafe, and children cannot be taught there. With Dashain holidays approaching and the school closed, parents are worried about their children falling behind.

Some students, however, have taken up shovels themselves, clearing mud from the school they are attached to.

The school has 120 students.