VISAKHAPATNAM: For the tribal children of Solubongu village in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, the school day begins not with the ring of a bell or the sight of a school bus, but with a boat ride across the Raiwada canal.
To attend classes at a school in Tamarabba, located in neighbouring Anakapalle district, the children must travel nearly 2.5 kilometres by boat.
During rainy season, when water levels rise and boats cannot operate, they are forced to walk more than four kilometres through dense forest and hilly terrain. On Sunday, the children and their parents staged a silent protest, urging the government to establish a school in their village.
With the academic year about to begin in a few days, they requested the government to set up a Non-Residential Special Training Centre (NRSTC) as an immediate measure to help their children receive basic education without the daily hardships of long and unsafe travel. “During heavy rains, it is impossible for children to attend school. A training centre in the village would allow them to continue their studies without interruption,” said, the parents.
Solubongu is home to 16 families from the Nooka Dora and Konda Dora tribal communities, with a population of about 76. The villagers have also requested the establishment of an Anganwadi centre to support early childhood care.
Despite having access to drinking water and electricity, the villagers must travel nearly 40 kilometres to Pinakota panchayat to collect monthly ration supplies.
Tribals of five other hamlets in ASR also demand setting up of schools
“We don’t ask for much. If our children can get education facilities here, we will be more than satisfied,” they added.
The demand for local education is not limited to Solubongu. Tribals from five other hamlets including Kadarevu, Kottemgudem, Goppulapalem, Kalyanagummi, and Madanagaruvu, have also appealed for temporary schools. Currently, children from these villages attend school in Bodugaruvu in Anakapalle district, which is nearly five kilometres away.
“In July 2024, the residents held a similar protest, following which the Mandal Education Officer visited the area and assured them that an alternative school would be set up. A proposal for a Non-Residential Special Training Centre was submitted to the ASR District Collector and the District Education Officer. However, no progress has been made so far.
Road connectivity remains a persistent challenge. A Rs 1 crore project to construct a gravel and stone-based metal road between Neredlapudi and Kalyanagummi was sanctioned under NRGS (Proceeding No. 01/23/Araku/NRGS/JTO, dated July 5, 2024), but the work has been stalled due to pending forest clearances,” claimed tribal leader K Govinda Rao.
He called on the government to expedite forest permissions and address the longstanding issues faced by the tribal communities. He warned that if the demands are not met soon, villagers will launch a large-scale protest during the upcoming Zilla Parishad governing body meeting.
