Eight pry schools in Kurigram devoured in a month

Unabated erosion by Teesta, Dharla, Brahmaputra and Dudhkumar has devoured eight primary schools in the last one month and 25 more schools are on the verge of extinction in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts.

Although the furniture of the damaged schools could be preserved, there is no space available in the localities for the reconstruction of these schools.

According to Kurigram and Lalmonirhat District Primary Education Office sources, seven primary schools in Kurigram have gone into the riverbed due to erosion. There are 25 more primary schools under the threat of being devoured anytime.

In Lalmonirhat, one school has already yielded to the grasp of erosion and five more are awaiting the same fate.

Sekendar Ali, 58, of Chilmaripara village in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat, said that Dakshin Sindurna Primary School has gone into the riverbed due to the continuous erosion of the river Teesta. It was the only educational institution in the char area. If the school is not rebuilt in char, their children will be deprived of the light of education.

Akkas Ali Mandal, 60, of Paschim Bajra village in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram, said Pashchim Bajra Primary School has disappeared into the riverbed due to the erosion of the Teesta river. The furniture in the school has been somehow protected. The school cannot be rebuilt due to lack of space. If the school is relocated from here, the children of the char will have no access to education.

Afsar Ali, a teacher at Pashchim Bajra Government Primary School, said that the school's furniture has been protected and kept under the open sky. The matter has been informed to the authorities. Land for the school is being searched locally for the reconstruction of the school but it seems highly unlikely that the school could be rebuilt in the locality due to the unavailability of land.

Kurigram District Primary Education Officer Shahidul Islam said instructions have been given to the teachers for managing the land locally to rebuild the schools.

In addition, a letter has been sent to the deputy commissioner (DC) and the executive engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) to protect the schools that are facing the wrath of the ravaging rivers.

The schools that have already been devoured by the rivers will be rebuilt in the affected areas but if there is no space available locally, action will be taken as per the decision of the education committee, said Shahidul.

Ariful Islam, executive engineer of WDB in Kurigram, said that sand-filled geo-bags and geo-tubes are being dumped in several places to protect the schools from the erosion.

It was also possible to make some schools safe from the impact of erosion, he added.