📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Eileen Sandá
Education
Assam Children Row Boats Across Two Rivers to Reach School Amid Bridge Absence
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 29 Sep 2026, 08:01 PM
👁 9
In a remote area of Assam, the absence of a bridge forces school‑going children to use boats to cross two rivers daily.
Children in a sparsely connected part of Assam are compelled to travel by boat each morning and evening because a vital bridge over two adjoining rivers is missing. The makeshift crossing involves small wooden boats that ferry the pupils across the swift currents before they can reach their school premises.
Local parents report that the daily boat ride adds significant travel time and exposes the children to risks such as sudden water level rise and capsizing, especially during the monsoon season. Attendance records have shown a dip, with some families opting to keep children at home rather than face the hazardous journey.
District officials acknowledge the problem and say plans for a permanent bridge are under review, but funding and terrain challenges have delayed construction. In the meantime, community groups are organizing volunteer boat operators to ensure safe passage, while urging the state government to expedite infrastructure work.
Local parents report that the daily boat ride adds significant travel time and exposes the children to risks such as sudden water level rise and capsizing, especially during the monsoon season. Attendance records have shown a dip, with some families opting to keep children at home rather than face the hazardous journey.
District officials acknowledge the problem and say plans for a permanent bridge are under review, but funding and terrain challenges have delayed construction. In the meantime, community groups are organizing volunteer boat operators to ensure safe passage, while urging the state government to expedite infrastructure work.