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  India   Kids brave crocodiles to reach school

Kids brave crocodiles to reach school

PTI
Published : Aug 15, 2016, 1:58 am IST
Updated : Aug 15, 2016, 1:58 am IST

Students in a far-flung village in Orissa’s Kendrapara district are forced to wade through waist-deep water in a crocodile-infested creek to reach their school everyday.

CROC.jpg
 CROC.jpg

Students in a far-flung village in Orissa’s Kendrapara district are forced to wade through waist-deep water in a crocodile-infested creek to reach their school everyday. It’s a dangerous journey for the children of Burudia village, under Rajkanika tehsil, as the threat of a crocodile pouncing upon them is very real.

The village does not have a school, with the nearest one located at Tarasa village, more than one kilometre from Burudia. To reach the school, children wade through the creek, which does not have a bridge over it, that separates the two villages.

“The creek is a narrow one and it spills during rainy season. The creek is also regarded as a habitation corridor of salt-water crocodiles. As there is no school in our village, we are forced to send children to the school in the neighbouring village. Children traverse through the river barrier to attend class. However, guardians and parents accompany them to ensure their safety,” said a local resident. “Parents stop their children from going to school when the tides are high and the creek cannot be crossed,” activist Subhransu Sutar said.

Sarpanch of Tarasa, Sanjukta Nayak, said a proposal for the construction of a bridge over the creek has been approved at the panchayat body meeting and financial allocation is awaited for the construction work to resume.