Risky boat ride to attend school

Locals including a good number of students have to cross Boalia canal between Ratneshwar and Panpatti villages in Patuakhali's Galachipa upazila amid risk on a small country boat locally known as 'kheya'.

To take the boat across the canal, they have to pull a long plastic rope tied to poles on two sides of the canal.

Over 150 students regularly cross the canal to go to Panpatti to attend classes at  Bangabandhu High School, Panpatti High School, Nuria Government Primary School, Tularam Government Primary School and Panpatti Dakhil Madrasa.

During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent found several students including Prashanto Sheel, Deen Islam and Eva pulling the rope to cross the Boalia canal by the boat that carried about 30 people, mostly students.

"We have to cross the canal daily in this way. A few students fell into the canal while pulling the rope in different times," said Prashanto Sheel, a seventh-grader at Bangabandhu High School.

"Sometimes the boat tilts sideways, letting water soak us," said Mukta, an eighth-grader at the same school.

"Once several students including me got fever, cold and cough as we were soaked," said Romana Begum, a seventh-grader.

Israt Jahan Asma, an assistant teacher of Bangabandhu High School, also a member of Patuakhali zila parishad, said, "Many students have to cross the canal amid risk by the boat to attend classes in their educational institutions at Panpatti. I, too, cross the canal by that small boat. I informed the higher authorities of the matter on several occasions but to no effect."

Meanwhile, a bridge constructed about two kilometres north of Ratneshwar Kheya Ghat is virtually of no use to the students.

Sudhir Chandra Karmakar, headmaster of Bangabandhu High School, said, "To cross the canal, we earlier paid Tk 20,000 per year to the boat owner who himself pulled the rope to carry the students across the canal by the boat. But this year, he demanded Tk 30,000, which we failed to meet."

"Now the students have to cross the canal by pulling the rope themselves, which poses risk. We are trying to negotiate with the boat owner," he added.

Contacted, Golachipa Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shah Md Rafiqul Islam said, "I have heard about the matter and will inform the higher authorities for a solution. I am also thinking of making a temporary arrangement for pulling the boat by a paid man to reduce the risk of the students while crossing the canal.