Tribal children in Andhra's Solubongu village risk lives daily to attend school
VISAKHAPATNAM: For the tribal children of Solubongu village in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, the school day begins not with the ring of a bell or the sight of a school bus, but with a boat ride across the Raiwada canal.
To attend classes at a school in Tamarabba, located in neighbouring Anakapalle district, the children must travel nearly 2.5 kilometres by boat.
During rainy season, when water levels rise and boats cannot operate, they are forced to walk more than four kilometres through dense forest and hilly terrain. On Sunday, the children and their parents staged a silent protest, urging the government to establish a school in their village.
With the academic year about to begin in a few days, they requested the government to set up a Non-Residential Special Training Centre (NRSTC) as an immediate measure to help their children receive basic education without the daily hardships of long and unsafe travel. 'During heavy rains, it is impossible for children to attend school. A training centre in the village would allow them to continue their studies without interruption,' said, the parents.
Solubongu is home to 16 families from the Nooka Dora and Konda Dora tribal communities, with a population of about 76. The villagers have also requested the establishment of an Anganwadi centre to support early childhood care.
Despite having access to drinking water and electricity, the villagers must travel nearly 40 kilometres to Pinakota panchayat to collect monthly ration supplies.
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