MIRZA, June 2 - As many as 10 government provincialised lower primary schools under the Chhaygaon Block Elementary Education Office in Palasbari constituency in Kamrup district are facing a grave threat � of being eroded by the mighty Brahmaputra river.
Several of these schools still lack the basic facilities and are running in makeshift buildings.
Sources said the Pagladia LP School has been functioning in a bamboo house since its inception. After erosion of land near the school in 2015-16, it was shifted to a sandbar near Kalardia village in Palasbari. The school was provincialised in 2013, but still lacks a concrete building.
The case of Kalardia LP School is similar. It has also been functioning in a makeshift building for over the last 20 years. The school was provincialised in 2013 but has been eroded by the Brahmaputra river twice � in 1998-1999 and again in 1999-2000. It has been shifted twice � first to Bardia village and thereafter to a sandbar at Baniapara village.
Established in 1980, the Bhatkhowadia LP School was provincialised in 2013. Erosion in 2016-2017 forced then shifting of the school to a makeshift house at Balagaon village. Every year, the school remains closed for several days due to floods.
The Dakhin Bhatkhowadia LP School, which was provincialised in 2013, has also been shifted from Dakhin Bhatkhowadia village to a sandbar near Panikhaity village.
The Madhyam Bhatkhowadia LP School was shifted to a sandbar in Baniapara near Panikhaity. A school building built through government funding has already been washed away by the Brahmaputra.
The river is also posing a threat to Hengratari LP School at Bardia village as the building is located just 50 metres from the water. Established at Hengratari in 1981, the school was provincialised in 1987 and shifted to Bardia Chapori. With 89 students, the school has facilities like building, toilets, tubewells etc, but the school management committee is clueless as to where it could be shifted if the floodwaters submerge the building.
�The Government authorities have not yet woken up. The school building will be lost in the floods, and the students will lose precious school days,� said Toiyab Ali, a villager.
Bardia Anchalik LP School with 66 students in its roll is also facing erosion. Established in 1985, the school has a building and toilets, which were constructed though government funding. The school building is just 300 metres from the Brahmaputra river.
Bardia Chapoori LP School is also on the verge of disappearance from the map as the Brahmaputra river is just 70 metres away. The school has already lost its toilets due to erosion.
�The school has 58 students. What will be their fate? Nobody has come forward so far to rescue the school from erosion,� lamented Moho Ali of Bardia village.
