Students of Jagnur suffer as Rotting bridge keeps them away from School

Going to school is an everyday battle for the children of Jagnur (Chikkodi taluk – Belagavi district), as they have to risk their lives by crossing an old wooden bridge across a nala, which is the only way from their village to reach school. And when it rains, the condition of the bridge makes it impossible for the children to use it.

Situated in Kusbenkhodi Tota, the Government Higher Primary School has about 160 students, of which nearly 80 have no other way of reaching school except via the bridge. The parents do want their children to get educated but with adverse conditions like these, parents fear the lives of their children more and have stopped sending their children to school due to the risks of crossing the bridge. The bridge goes across a canal linking to the Ghataprabha river. With time, the wood has rotted, the metal supports of the bridge have rusted and become weak.

Villagers have pooled money from their own pocket and repaired the bridge three times already. They have also submitted memorandums to irrigation minister M B Patil, local MLA Duryodhan Aihole, the local irrigation officer and the DC, yet they see no sign of relief. Basavaraj Hanamannavar, a local resident, said"The government is spending crores of rupees on education but the officers concerned and elected representatives have clearly neglected to provide basic infrastructure to provide access to this school. The government should immediately take this matter up, because it's our children's education that is at stake her,"

"It came to my notice just two days ago. The present bridge is private, I have instructed that the bridge be temporarily repaired, and once the rainy season is over a permanent cement bridge will be constructed," said Raibaug MLA Duryodhan Aihole.

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