Kendrapara: Appearing for the annual HSC examinations is a harrowing experience for the students of riparian villages like Dakhinidiha, Ekamania and Nalapahi under Aul block.
Examinees of these villages have to cross two rivers – Brahmani and Kharasrota – to reach their exam centre at Keredagada under Rajnagar block, according to a report.
About 32 students of Ekamani UGUP School are appearing for the HSC examinations this year.
“To reach their examination centre at Keredagada High School, which is only 1.5 km from their villages, they have to cross the rivers during high tide. However, during low tide, they have to wade through 300 metre deep water of crocodile infested Brahmani to reach Keredagada,” Sukant Behera, a guardian, said.
According to Sarat Behera, a guardian, the villages are surrounded by crocodile infested rivers. In the absence of bridges, the inhabitants have been confronting serious communication problems.
When contacted, district collector Muralidhar Mallik said the district education department has set up the exam centre at Keredagada as it is only 1.5 km from the villages. Besides, no exam centre in Aul block is closer to the villages than Keredagada, he added.
If the students have been facing problems then the district administration will arrange accommodation for the students of the three river locked villages so that they can appear in the ongoing HSC examinations, the collector said. PNN