Kids brave muddy roads, water to reach anganwadi at Pizhala

KOCHI: It is fun, once in a while, to splash in the mud on the way to school. However, it becomes tedious when this has to be endured every day. This is the situation that tiny tots of the anganwadi at Pizhala near Kadamakudy have to go through every day. The path to their nursery located by the side of paddy fields is a slushy, muddy, slippery and dangerous one.

“The anganwadi caters to around 10 little ones. However, to reach there, the kids have to traverse a long stretch of muddy road located right along the side of flooded paddy fields. The situation here is precarious,” said Vidya, a parent. It has been the same for the past few years, she added.

“We have been asking the panchayat and knocking the doors of authorities concerned for some time. However, nothing has happened to date,” she said. Fed up, the mothers have taken it upon themselves to get the matter resolved. “We have decided to submit complaints to all the officers concerned and pester them until we get an answer,” said another parent who didn’t wish to be named. 

According to Gopan, a nearby resident, the anganwadi was started in 2008 and the land for the construction of the road was donated in 1998. “The initial agreement was for a six-metre wide road. As per the requirements, the nearby residents donated the land. However, the road couldn’t be paved due to a dispute with one of the landowners,” he said.

Though accessibility is one of the prime issues plaguing the anganwadi, another problem that has reared up is inundation. “In recent years, during high tide, water from the paddy fields has been entering the anganwadi building,” said Vidya. Earlier, only the compound used to get flooded, she added.

“Going to the anganwadi is turning out to be an adventure. It is a competition to see who reaches the school without slipping. The lone teacher and the ayah are helpless. Only the education department, the panchayat and the Integrated Child Development Services can do anything about the situation,” said Vidya.