Kids cross river to reach school

Berhampur: In a heart-rending tale of grit and determination, 10 students from Sanasahi village under Mohana block’s Gardama panchayat in Gajapati district undertake a perilous journey every day. They wade through the turbulent Gadapur river to reach their school at Badasahi. Their daily one-and-a-half-kilometre trudge across the river is not just a commute, but a testament to the spirit of learning amidst adversity.

The ordeal is not limited to children alone. Residents from more than a dozen villages including Kumbharpada, Ramsing, Gurimera, Betagonda, Bamudipada, Chidangapanka, Lutipadar, Gurujhuli, Balibandha, Gangudipanka and Rajakhama are forced to cross the river for basic needs like healthcare, marketing and transport. Their repeated demand for a bridge has fallen on deaf ears.

However, in a glimmer of hope, State Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena had recently assured that a bridge over the Gadapur river will be constructed. Until then, the river remains both a path and a peril and a silent witness to the indomitable courage of Gajapati’s children, who are scripting a saga of resilience.