KENDRAPARA: Even as Kendrapara continues to reel under the impact of floods, education has gone for a toss with several schools damaged and students forced to stay at home for nearly a month.
The worst-affected areas include the riverside villages of Aul, Pattamundai, Rajnagar and Rajkanika blocks. Such is the situation that many schools have sustained infrastructure damage and lie submerged, while some others have been converted into temporary shelters for those who lost their homes in the floods.
Under such circumstances, education has taken a back seat. Santosh Rout, a Class VI student of Jay Hind High School at Dandisahi under Pattamundai block said, their house was completely damaged by the flood. “All our books have become wet. Our school was also submerged for around three days,” he added.
Many other students also complained that they lost their textbooks and notebooks after the floodwaters inundated their homes. A teacher of a primary school at Singhgaon under Pattamundai block said the devastation was so widespread that proper resumption of classes could be delayed by nearly two more months.
Abhaya Das, a Class IX student of Patrapur High School in Aul block said villagers had used some classrooms and verandahs as temporary shelters for cattle and goats owing to which they are now lying littered with animal dung and leftover fodder.
The floodwaters have also damaged school furniture. A teacher of Bigneswar High School at Mandapada under Pattamundai block said several tables, chairs, desks and other furniture were washed away after floodwaters entered the institution.
Alapua Nodal High School at Pattamundai’s Alapua village has also been severely affected, with floodwater from the Brahmani river entering the premises and exposing the poor drainage conditions in the area.
“I lost all my school textbooks and accessories,” said Ranjan Mallick, a Class VI student of Nodal Upper Primary School at Padanipala village under Aul block.
Kendrapara district education officer (DEO) Pabitra Mohan Barik said as per preliminary survey, several schools have been affected by the floods.
“We have directed all block education officers to submit detailed reports on the flood-affected schools. After receiving the reports, the government will provide funds for their repair. The authorities concerned will also provide new textbooks to students who lost them in the floods,” he said.
