Sambalpur: School-going children in Debahali village under Badmal panchayat of Redhakhole block in this district face a tough obstacle during the rainy season every year as they have to cross a swelling river to reach their school. The Harihar river flowing near their village swells during the rainy season and disrupts all communication to the other side.
As a result, guardians have to carry their kids on their shoulders and wade through the flooded river to drop them at an Anganwadi centre and a primary school which are on the other side. Rolling up their trousers or lungis, the parents slowly cross the river in spate. The incident comes close on the heels of a similar incident where students in a village under Patrapur block of Ganjam district were forced to cross a flooded stream with the help of a rope in absence of a proper road to reach their respective homes. The incident has exposed the sorry state of development in remote parts of the state.
A guardian Debaki Bhoi alleged that their village has no Anganwadi centre or primary school. Budhikhamar village in Bhaliakata panchayat has an Anganwadi centre and a primary school but is on the other side of the river. Our children have no other way than crossing the river to reach their school, she said. They do not face any problem during summer season but their problem aggravates once the rainy season starts. The river swells with floodwater during monsoons but due to lack of any alternative route or bridge on the river, the elders risk their lives and carry their children to drop them at the Anganwadi centre and the primary school and also bring them back home after the school hours, she said. The children get an undeclared holiday if the river is swollen to the brim due to heavy rainfall, she added.
Another guardian Bharat Kumar Dharua said the river was raging Tuesday for which the children were unable to attend their schools and got a holiday. The river was overflowing with water up to the chest for which they were unable to carry their children to drop them at school, he said. He said that the villagers apprised the state higher education minister and local MLA Rohit Pujari of their plight during the rainy season when he had visited their area while campaigning for election. Pujari had then assured them to resolve their problems but they are yet to see any steps being taken for building a bridge on the river, he said. He lamented that despite the presence of a plethora of government welfare schemes the benefits still elude the needy.
When contacted, district Collector Ananya Das said a probe will be undertaken to ascertain the reality behind the problem. She has directed the Sub-Collector to visit the spot and submit a report to her and action will be taken once the report is available to the district administration, she added.
