Assam Floods: Students Navigate Perilous Waters to Reach School

Students in Jonai, Assam, resort to using boats to cross the Kemi River after a bridge was damaged by floods. The situation poses safety risks and challenges for the students and teachers, affecting regular school attendance. Floods have impacted thousands and claimed over 100 lives in the state this year.

In Assam's Jonai region, students are faced with a dangerous journey to school as they use boats to cross the Kemi River. This challenge emerged after a vital bridge was swept away by floodwaters on June 28.

Bhagyashree Saikia, an assistant teacher at Kemi-Jelam Middle English School, highlighted the obstacles students encounter due to the missing bridge. Many students, hailing from three villages across the river, experience irregular school attendance as they often have to resort to foot crossings when boats are unavailable, damaging their school materials and causing safety concerns.

Floods in the region have claimed 105 lives this year, impacting nearly 32,000 people and submerging vast areas of agricultural land, casting doubts on crop sustainability and affecting livelihoods. Assam State Disaster Management Authority reports ongoing challenges, with thousands reliant on relief efforts as monsoons continue to devastate infrastructure.