The fresh coat of paint with tribal art on the walls gives the school an impressive look. But the students have to wade through knee-deep water to reach their classroom.
Welcome to Gundriposhi Colony Project Primary School in Tileibani block of the district which has 60 students on its roll from Class I to V. The students are not the lone sufferers. The gate of the school also leads to an Anganwadi centre adjacent to the school building. Parents too have to wade through the stagnant water to drop their wards.
Situated in a low-lying area, the school premises gets flooded every time it rains. Although it’s a Maoist-infested block, inhabited by tribals, the school has neither received funds under ITDA nor IAP to overcome the problem.
President of the School Managing Committee, Ananta Sahu, said although they had drawn the attention of the Gram Panchayat and the Block officials to this problem, no action has been taken yet.
Walking through stagnant water poses health risks with most of the students suffering from cold and cough, he said, adding that the tendency among the children to play in water aggravates the problem. DI of Schools, Surendra Kumar Sahu, said he was aware of the situation and a road for safe passage to the school has been proposed.