Agartala, 30th September 2026 : Students and teachers of Athukathang JB School under the Mandai Inspector of Schools are facing serious difficulties due to the absence of a bridge or culvert over a river on the route to the school. The problem becomes particularly severe during the monsoon, when rising water levels often leave students and teachers stranded on the school premises for several hours.
The school authorities and guardians have demanded urgent measures to address the lack of proper access, drinking water, kitchen, playground and sanitation facilities.
According to school official Manik Chandra Rupini, the school begins at 8 am, but students are often unable to reach the premises on time if it rains in the morning. “If it rains in the morning, the students cannot cross the water. Often, it gets to be 9 am,” he said.
The situation is equally difficult at the end of the school day. If rainfall causes the river to swell around 10 or 11 am, students and teachers cannot cross the river to return home after school. According to Rupini, they sometimes have to remain at school until the water level falls, which can take around three hours. In some cases, they are unable to cross until 3 or 4 pm.
The school also lacks a permanent kitchen despite functioning for around a decade. Rupini said the authorities have constructed a temporary single-slope tin-roofed structure using school funds, but leakage during rain makes it difficult to prepare mid-day meals.
The school reportedly has around 50 students and two teachers. Its approximately two-kani campus is also largely undeveloped and covered with vegetation, leaving little usable space for sports and other activities.
“There is no proper playground, drinking water facility or permanent kitchen. If these basic facilities were provided, it would greatly benefit the students as well as people living in the settlements across the river,” Rupini said.
The school authorities and guardians have urged the concerned departments to take immediate steps to construct a bridge or culvert and provide the necessary basic infrastructure.
