Cry of students slipped on muddy road to school falls on deaf ears of officials

Giddalur: The students of the Zilla Parishad High School at Papinenipalli village in Ardhaveedu mandal of Prakasam district whisper the same prayer to gods in every rainy season, just to see them walk to the school safely.

They are not handicapped, but they are victims of the negligence of the officials, in paving a pathway to the ZPHS Papinenipalli at around half a kilometre to the village and in the middle of the fields. The vexed students, mostly from the poor families who cannot join the private schools or go to other schools at a distance, protested at the check post near Papinenipalli on Tuesday, for the nth time in the last few years.

The ZP High School in Papinenipalli is built on the land donated by a local philanthropist in 1984. Since the road to the school is a gravel road and also used by the farmers with tractors, it always has ups and downs on the two edges. When in hurry, the students fall onto the ground, while the teachers coming on the two-wheelers slip regularly.

During the rainy season, the ordeals of the students and staff of the ZP High School is just like a circus to the onlookers. Due to the slippery mud, at least five or six students fall facedown and while one or two teachers or staff soil their dress.

The students and staff have complained to the authorities for many years. In 2018, the then ZP chairman Edara Haribabu visited the school and assured them a good tar road up to the school and promised to maintain it with the ZP funds. But all promises by the officials and politicians never fulfilled and the ordeals of the students continue year after year.

Due to rains for the last two weeks, the path to the ZP High School at Papinenipali was damaged again and became slippery again. Several students slipped again last week while some others escaped. ZPHS Papinenipalli headmaster Srinivasa Rao said that they have sent representations to the higher authorities several times, but there is no response from them.

So on Tuesday, the students and their parents protested at the check post. They demanded the government to understand their plight and show concern for the students who are going to school amid all odds.