ANGUL: Even as the State Government has been coming up with several schemes to ensure universal education and trying to attract investment for infrastructural development, students of two villages in the district have to cross a rivulet to go to school everyday. While there is no high school near the villages, a bridge over the rivulet continues to elude the villagers despite persistent demand.
During monsoon when the rivulet is in spate, the children have to abandon this perilous path and cover a distance of 12 kms to attend the school situated at Athmallick town. The rivulet originating from Panchadhara hilly range flows parallel to Athmallick-Boinda road and always has a strong current.
For the two villages of Nuagarh and Khambeswaripalli, there is one primary school upto Class V. To study further, the children of the two villages have to go to a school located in Jadupur village or Athmallick town.
The children going to Athmallick school take two uniforms with them. They need an additional uniform as the dress they wear gets wet while crossing the rivulet. The parents accompanying the students wait anxiously on the bank till their children safely across the rivulet.
Besides the school going children, almost all people of the two villages have to cross the rivulet for their daily requirements.
“When we cross the rivulet, there is always fear that we may get swept away by the current. We are forced to go to school in such adverse condition as we want to study,” said a student S Pradhan.
“Despite scores of developmental plans and schemes of the Government, a bridge over the rivulet eludes the two villages,” said a villager.
Athmallick Sub-collector AK Panda said, “We are aware of the problem faced by the people of the two villages. Since construction of a bridge needs high investment, we will draw the attention of our higher authorities.”