Students in the country, particularly those from rural parts still face many obstacles to get an education. In Pema Gatshel a group of children from Denchi village put their lives at risk every day to go to school.
About 16 children, some as young as six, have to walk for at least half an hour to attend their classes at the Khar Primary School. On the way, the children have to cross a temporary bridge over the Marung stream. The wooden bridge is small and not very strong.
They use an old footpath because the village farm-road is unusable since a bailey bridge that completes the route is still under construction.
Drukten, one of the students from Denchi said the bridge isn’t as strong as those made from steel. “When all of us cross it together, there are chances it could collapse.” He added parents also come along but since most of the children are small, it is difficult to care for. “Some of them run on the bridge, the young ones could fall off.”
Jigme Dhendup, who has a school going child said some of the children play as they cross the bridge. “There is a huge risk they could fall into the river.”
“When it starts raining, we start worrying about how to take our children to school. All routes we have are in pathetic condition,” said Sangay Chezom, another parent.
The issue was also discussed during the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
Khar Gup, Ngajay Dorji said people get washed away by the Marung stream every year. “Just a few years ago, a student of Khar School drowned in this stream. That is why the bridge needs to be completed soon.”
“Students of Denchi and Zungri couldn’t go to school for two days. The parents had to drop the students themselves,” said Namkha Dorji, Chongshing Mangmi.
The officiating Dzongkhag Engineer, Karchung said works were delayed as it was difficult to purchase materials because of the pandemic. But everything has been obtained now and the bridge is expected to be finished by the end of this month. “We needed other equipment and machinery. Now we will start right after the rainy season ends.”
The four-kilometre road connecting Denchi village with Khar Gewog was completed in 2017. The bailey bridge was expected to be completed in June this year.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel.
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
