Alif Gopalganj Correspondent: There is a stretch of road measuring only 300 meters leading to Karargati No. 96 Government Primary School in Gopalganj Municipality. For at least four months during the monsoon season, this area experiences waterlogging. As a result, at the onset of the monsoon, students must navigate to school through mud and water that can reach their knees. Occasionally, they arrive at school completely drenched. Young boys and girls are often carried across this section by their parents on their laps or backs. When the water levels rise, they must traverse the area at great risk using dinghies. During these crossings, boats have capsized multiple times, soaking the children’s books, notebooks, bags, clothes, and pants. Fortunately, there has been no significant damage. Consequently, this location poses a serious danger to the children who must cross it. In total, 120 children and students from Karargati Government Primary School and the Sub-Formal Education Center in the municipality make their way to school by crossing the water. The alternative route is longer and fraught with risks. Thus, young children are compelled to study while navigating the waterlogged paths in the village.
On the ground, it was observed that after the police lines of the district headquarters, a paved road has been constructed from the filling station heading north to Poddarbari. Another paved road extends from the traffic police box of the police lines northward to the Sarvajanin Hari Temple. However, there is a 300-meter gap in the middle of this road. During the dry season, residents traverse the paddy fields. Various hardships arise during the rainy season. Adjacent to Poddarbari is the Karargati Government Primary School, while next to Parmanik Bari is the Karargati Sarvajanin Hari Temple, which serves as a temple-based sub-formal education center under the Hindu Welfare Trust. The children attending these two educational institutions are aged between 3 and 11 years. If they opt for the dry road, they must navigate the busiest 2 kilometers of the Dhaka-Khulna highway. The children are hopeful of attending school each day without having to traverse this perilous route.
In addition, 30 students from Dakshin Karargati village come to school by wading through the water on the road. Therefore, the construction and repair of the roads has become very urgent.”
Poli Bala, a teacher at the Karargati Temple Sub-Formal Education Center, said, “My center has 30 children in pre-primary class. Out of these, 14 children come to the center from the Poddarbari area by wading through the water.” If only 300 meters of road is built, children, guardians and us will be saved from this suffering.
Fifth grade students of Karargati Government Primary School, Swarna Poddar, Disha Tikadar, and fourth grade student Prabati Biswas say, during the dry season, we walk to school through the land path. But at the beginning of the monsoon, the land path is submerged. Then we used to go to school by jumping into knee or waist-deep water. The water has risen for 10 days. There is no way to cross on foot. So we have to cross in a dinghy boat for 10 taka. When we get on the boat, the boat starts swaying. Sometimes the boat capsizes and sinks. Then there is no end to our suffering. We have to travel 2 kilometers to go to school through the paved road. Fast-moving vehicles ply on that busy road. When it rains, the suffering increases even more. We are demanding the government to fix our road quickly.
Fifth grade students, Brishti Kirtaniya, Ratri Majumdar say, sometimes we have to take off our shoes. Sometimes my feet get cut. I have to fall because of the mud. Sometimes half my pants get wet. Half my pants stay dry. Later I have to go to class in those half-wet pants. Holes form on the road for people to walk. My feet hurt when I fall into these holes. My bags, dresses and books get wet while traveling. I don’t go to school during storms and rains.
Amit Roy, a dinghy boatman, said that the water has risen. Students are unable to cross on foot. So I have been ferrying children across in dinghies for the past 10 days. After the children boarded the boat, the boat started swaying. When the children were rowing, the boat capsized. The boat capsized and sank several times. The children got wet. But there was no damage. If there were students who did not know how to swim, an accident could have happened.
Nihar Biswas, teachers Pavitra Kumar Biswas and Ripon Biswas of Karargati village said that during the rainy season, the locals and students suffer the most in transportation. We live here about 2.5 thousand people. It has become very important to build this road for transportation. Even after applying, the municipal authorities have not taken effective steps.
District Primary Education Officer Md. Jyotsna Khatun said that the matter has been reported to the Gopalganj municipal authorities and the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer. He is looking into the matter seriously.
Gopalganj Municipality Executive Engineer Mehedi Hasan said that the land owners are not willing to give space in the place where the road is being demanded to be built. Therefore, the construction of the road is being delayed. Once the issue of space is resolved, the road will be constructed as soon as possible.
