NEPALGUNJ, August 2: Seeing the destruction inflicted on her school by the floods from the Rapti River has deeply saddened Rekha Burma, a fourth-grader at Khalla Jhagadiya Lower Secondary School in Fatehpur-1of Banke.
Her school compound lay submerged under floodwaters last Tuesday, with a dozen other schools in the district suffering similar fate. Classrooms are still covered in mud, turning the floor slimy.
“We can't concentrate on our studies as the classrooms are muddy?” said the fourth-grader.
Even the parents are uncomfortable sending their children to school. “Floods have caused huge destruction to the school our children attend. The whole school reeks of foul smell. Our children cannot focus on their studies,” said Surendra Burma, a local of Deupurwa, Phatepur-6.
About a dozen community schools in the district have been affected by the Rapti River flooding.
The floods have caused significant damages to schools in Fatehpur, Holiya, Betahani, Gangapur, Matahiya, Khaskusma, along with other flood-affected areas, according to resource center officials.
Khalla Jhagadiya Lower Secondary School in Fatehpur-1, Gyanodaya Primary School in Deupurwa-6, Madrasa Mastakul Primary School in Deupurwa-2 have sustained damages to infrastructure, books and official documents. Likewise, BP Primary School in Gangapur-1, Jaya Kisan High School in Gangapur-6, and Dependra Primary School in Matehiya-1 have been inundated by floods.
“Floodwaters have entered many schools around here, destroying important documents, textbooks, notebooks and other education materials,” said Trilokinath Maurya, resource person at Bhuwar Bhawani Higher Secondary School (HSS).
Similarly, Chaurferi Primary School in Holiya-2, Janata Lower Secondary School in Priparhawa, and Santaliya Primary School in Betahani, and Maharaja High School have been affected by inundation, according to Ram Ekbal Mandal, resource person of the source center. Hari Bhakta Dangi, chairman of school management committee of Sati Bhawani Lower Secondary School, informed that the school has suffered multiple damages to its structures.
Most schools had suspended classes before the monsoon. Hence, it has prevented human causalities.
“The holidays end on August 7. However, it may not be possible conduct classes as entire villages have been displaced,” said Abdul Mutlip Khal, principal of Holiya-based Chauferi Primary School.
“All the children have taken shelter at temporary camps along with their parents. The school is also in deplorable condition,” he added.
The District Education Office, Banke, have decided to collect data on schools and students affected by floods by August 14. “However, the data collection has been delayed as most of the schools are having monsoon holidays,” said District Education Officer Bhim Bahadur Saud.
Disaster-hit wary of attending classes
