Students unable to reach schools due to raging torrents in the absence of bridges
Students unable to reach schools due to raging torrents in the absence of bridges
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, July 19
More than 75 students of five villages of Mawani Dawani village panchayat of Bangapani sub- division of the district could not reach their school after the summer break this year, as the students have to cross three rivulets on way to the school. Since these rivulets do not have any bridges, it becomes extremely dangerous for young students to cross these raging torrents during the peak of monsoon season.
“The students from two districts of Bageshwar and Pithoragarh come to study in Government Inter college (GIC) Bagicha Bagar, while the students from Bageshwar villages reach school after crossing river by trolley installed on Ramganga river, the students living beyond Bhyulagar are not able to reach their school due to lack of a bridge on the river,” said Munni Devi, Gram pradhan of Muwani Dawani village.
According to the gram pradhan, the students of Bhyula and Ghururi have to cross two rivulets at Bhyulagar and Bhrtigar. These rivulets turn into raging torrents during monsoon.” Until the government builds bridges on these rivulets, the poor guardians will not risk on the lives of their wards,” said Laxmi Devi, a guardian from Bhyula village.
According to the villagers the students ,who want studying after class 10th, had to go the Intermediate collage situated at a distance of seven kilometres
.” Only the poor students suffer from this situation as financially able guardians have lodged their wards in Lumti and Baram villages situated across the rivulets as well as across the Gori river,” said Bhagat Singh Mehra, a social worker in Bangapani sub- division.
The parents alleged that they had been demanding repair of the seven kilometre road to school for their kids but the authorities have turned a blind eye to their demand. ” They claim that education is the universal right for all but due to governments apathy, we are not in a position to provide education for our kids round the year,” said Bhagat Mehra
Pithoragarh District M agistrate Ashish Chauhan said that he has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) officials to depute home guards or PRD jawans at such places enroute schools which are risky during rainly season to help students reach their schools .” We are on high alert and would ensure that students donot face problems in going and coming from schools in this weather,” said the DM.
The parents of the students living in these villages not only want make shift bridges for monsoon months at Bhyula and Bherigar rivulets but also want technical supervision of the functioning of trolley installed across Gori river since it has been found that sometimes the students get trapped in between due to technical problems. ” If the administration fail to ensure immediate measures to provide relief to students, they will have to discontinue their schools till the month of October, when the water in the streams and rivulets decrease,” said Bhagat Singh, a worried parent.
