For as long as locals could remember, school-going children in the remote hamlet of Pachedoddi inside M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary used to trek to school — nearly 6 km in each direction.
Trudging along uneven terrain and slippery slopes, negotiating their way through the jungle to school and back was an energy-sapping endeavour every day. The fear of a lone tusker or a stalking leopard was also in the back of their minds. This not only affected their performance at school, but also inhibited their potential for growth. However, a minor initiative by the authorities, including Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar, the district administration and the Forest Department, is set to be a game changer for them.
The department has introduced a vehicle to transport schoolchildren from remote hamlets to their schools. Now, the students who used to walk nearly three hours daily can take the vehicle to get to school and back in about 20 minutes each way.
The exercise commenced on Friday and the schoolchildren who made their first trip were an excited lot. That the initiative has come during examination time is all the more a boon for the students and their parents, said V. Yedukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills wildlife division.
He told The Hindu that this arrangement was similar to the facility introduced for the villagers of Doddaane and two other villages that lacked last-mile connectivity in the absence of motorable roads. This has benefited nearly 200 people, who earlier had to trek 2-3 km to secure basic amenities. Even an ambulance could not reach these villages, and people had to labour to get LPG cylinders and carry them. Following the introduction of the vehicle service, the locals heaved a sigh of relief.
The daily ordeal of the schoolchildren came to the notice of Mr. Suresh Kumar, who is also in charge of Chamarajanagar district, during an interaction with them early in February.
The issue subsequently figured in the Eco Development Committee meeting and it was decided to replicate the Doddaane model and provide transportation facility to the schoolchildren, said Mr. Yedukondalu. There are about 20 students in the village, some of whom are in high school and most in primary school.
