“The river literally controls the school,” says Sushila Prasai, a teacher. “We also fear that children will drown in the river.” [break]
This is not the problem of Baljyoti High school alone. Some 11 schools in the district also face the risk. Among them are five schools in Mahabhara VDC, four in Satasidham VDC, one in Topgachhi and one in Khudunabari.
Kankai River, which is not more than 100 meters away, has also put Indreni High School in danger. It is feared that the Baniyani river might likewise flood nearby Prithvinarayan High School.
“If no quick action is taken, all these schools will be submerged one day,” says Ram Prasad Uprety, secretary of Mahabhara VDC. The VDC has planned to invest Rs 400,000 to build spurs near rivers and protect the schools.
Other schools in danger of being swept away are Balnikunja High School, Saraswati High School and Jharana High School. While Topgachhi´s Kamala Higher Secondary School faces risk from the Kamal River, Khudunabari´s Bhanu High School is in danger from the Sukhani river.
Local Development Officer Bhupal Bahadur Niraula says, “Nobody has asked for a budget yet (for protecting the schools) and we can´t issue a budget right away if we are not asked.”
According to Niraula, saving schools from floods would cost a lot of money and the VDC would not be able to help all schools.
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