Rainy Season Woes: Students in Siraha Struggle to Reach School Due to Unbridged River Crossing

Siraha. The Janata Basic School located in Laxminiya Malityol, Siraha Municipality-21, becomes deserted during even light rainfall. Students are unable to reach the school as they have to cross the eastern branch of the Mainawati River to get there.

Although 291 students are enrolled in this school, which teaches up to grade 5 and is located on the western bank of the river, locals say the school is virtually closed once the month of Ashar begins.

The school's principal, Mo. Azmat Ali, states that teaching and learning activities are frequently disrupted due to the lack of a bridge to cross the river. Ali explains the situation: 'As soon as it rains, the area in front of the school floods. Students cannot cross; how can they possibly come to school?'

It is not just students; local Sanjay Kumar Gupta laments that over 250 families in Laxminiya Malityol face difficulties reaching fields or local markets during even light rain. He complains that since there is no way to cross the river, they are forced to wade through the water. 'Since the area floods even with normal rain, we have been facing problems for years. The lack of proper drainage exacerbates the issue,' he said, adding, 'Even in winter, the path here is muddy.'

Although locals have built a bamboo bridge through their own initiative and investment for passage, locals say that young children still face problems getting to and from school.

'People who were elected from this area, who became MPs and ministers, promised to build a bridge over this river, but our problem has not been heard,' says local Rajkishor Yadav. 'Candidates also promised to build this bridge in the previous elections. Those who lost never returned, and we haven't even seen the faces of those who won.'

This settlement currently falls under Siraha Constituency No. 3. Leelanath Shrestha of CPN-UML was elected from here for two consecutive terms in 2074 and 2079 BS. He also served as a minister twice. The mayor of the municipality is also from CPN-UML, Navin Kumar Yadav. In the 2070 BS election, Sita Devi Yadav, then treasurer of the Nepali Congress, was elected from this constituency.

Candidates are currently campaigning door-to-door here, distributing assurances in every village. However, this time, voters are not easily convinced. The people of Laxminiya Malityol are searching for honest and capable leaders rather than empty promises, declarations, and commitments.

This time, 41 candidates, including 12 from different parties and 29 independents, have filed nominations from here, including Subhaschandra Yadav from Nepali Congress, Bishwanath Sah from the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), Leelanath Shrestha from CPN-UML, Asheshwar Yadav from Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Shambhu Kumar Yadav from Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Shrawan Paswan from Ujyalo Nepal Party.