E-Paper
Floods force risky school commute for over 300 children in Gorakhpur
While government-run primary and upper primary schools remain closed due to being submerged in knee-deep water, private schools continue to operate.
With the onset of the monsoon, floods have inundated two dozen villages along river bodies in Gorakhpur district, creating significant challenges for the education of school children. Every morning, more than 300 school children brave the risk of flooding as they row boats for miles to reach their schools and attend classes in half a dozen English medium private schools located in these affected areas.
Rowing boats has been their fate for decades; for some, it is an adventure, while for others, it is a compulsion to attend school. While government-run primary and upper primary schools remain closed due to being submerged in knee-deep water, private schools continue to operate after pumping out water and disinfecting classrooms, as their areas are not as severely affected by the floodwaters. However, students from adjacent flood-hit villages are compelled to navigate to school by boat amid rising river water levels.
With eight more villages marooned on Sunday, the total number of marooned villages reached 32. Over half a dozen villages have been inundated by floods from the River Rapti, Rohini, Gorra and Narayani.
Most English medium schools in these villages get flooded after the water level rises, causing significant difficulties for students.
Arpita, in Class 3, Anshu in Class 5, Aman and Raveena in Class 6, students at a private English medium school, are a few among those who risk their lives daily to reach their school. Similarly, Shivam and Narayan, residents of Billaura village and students in a private intermediate college, travel by boat daily to reach their institutions.
Likewise, in another private medium school in Behrampur South, students like Kaushalya Sahni, Anshika, and Pawan Kumar have no alternative but to travel by boat to attend school.
Notably, last year, a video went viral on social media showing Sandhya Sahni, a Class 11 student, rowing a boat to reach her school in Behrampur. This video garnered attention from political leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, who praised Sandhya for her dedication to education.
Meanwhile, additional district magistrate (ADM) finance and revenue Vineet Kumar Singh confirmed that over 25 thousand people were affected, with the River Rapti flowing one meter above the danger mark. The water level of Rapti has risen by 32 cm and Rohni by 18 cm.
