Young, vulnerable primary school students in the border villages of Dhemaji district are risking their safety daily, forced to cross swelling monsoon rivers in country boats just to attend classes. In Kemi village under the Jonai education block, the lack of a local primary school leaves young children with no choice but to travel to Purona Jelom ME School across the Oyan River. The students have been exposed to constant danger since June 28, when a flash flood washed away the iron bridge that previously served as their only safe crossing point.
Residents of Kemi and Oiramghat located along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary have urgently appealed to the state government to build a new bridge before a tragedy occurs. A remarkably similar crisis is unfolding in Dimow, located in the Paschim Jonai region, where primary students must cross the turbulent Dimou River every day to reach their classrooms. While an alternative land route connecting to National Highway-515 exists, local residents note that it is far too long for small children to walk and muddy conditions during the monsoon render vehicular transport impossible.
Despite persistent demands from local communities for the construction of permanent Reinforced Cement Concrete bridges across both rivers, local residents say their pleas to authorities have gone unheeded, leaving school-going children to navigate dangerous waters throughout the rainy season. The detour requires walking long distances that are unmanageable for primary-grade students and heavy monsoon rains reduce the unpaved tracks to deep mud, rendering vehicular transport nearly impossible throughout the rainy season. Residents of both Dimow and Kemi have repeatedly urged public works and administrative authorities to erect permanent Reinforced Cement Concrete bridges across both the Oyan and Dimou rivers. Despite persistent petitions from local communities demanding long-term structural solutions, their pleas have gone unaddressed. As monsoon waters continue to rise, hundreds of young students remain dependent on perilous river crossings to exercise their right to an education.
Distipanna Bhuyan