Earlier, students who used travel by public transport buses are now forced to either drop out of school or walk for 10 km one-way, thanks to MSRTC’s six-month-long strike
Over the past two weeks in Dahanu, an ambulance is seen ferrying six to eight students. Pic/Niranjan Aher
For 16-year-old Kalawanti Gawla from Ganjad hamlet of Dahanu, appearing for board exams is a gruelling task in itself. She leaves her house at 8 am to reach the examination centre at 10 am as she has no access to public transport or well-connected roads.
Kalawanti has to walk for over 2 km to reach the main road from where an ambulance picks her up along with other students to drop them at their exam centre. The SSC exams in Maharashtra began on March 15 and will end on April 5, 2022.
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Earlier, students who used travel by public transport buses are now forced to either drop out of school or walk for 10 km one-way, thanks to MSRTC’s six-month-long strike.
Ambulance to the rescue
Over the past two weeks in Dahanu, an ambulance is seen ferrying six to eight students at a time for at least four to six times a day to their schools. The ambulance service initiated by Alert Citizen Forum, a non-profit organisation, ferries 19 students who are appearing for their board exams.
“Spending Rs 10 to Rs 20 for ST bus tickets is pocket-friendly for us. We can’t afford to spend Rs 40 one-way on a private vehicle to reach our school daily. Due to the strike, bus services have been reduced. Walking is the only affordable option now. Looking at our plight, non-profit organisations, are helping us out by arranging transport facilities,” says Kalawanti.
Another student, Pinky Dhangda, from Rai Tali hamlet, said, “Narrow interior roads inside our village leaves us with no choice but to walk 2-3 km to reach the main road. Reaching exam centre on time has become a problem.”
The students residing in Adivasi Padas (tribal hamlets) of Dahanu come from under-privileged backgrounds whose parents are labourers earning Rs 100 to Rs 130 a day.
Another student Nirmala Varthal, 16, who resides in Ubhaduk village, said “A lot of time goes into travelling. We don't get time to do revision at home. We do last-minute revision on our way to school.”
Jogeshwari-based Niranjan Aher, President of Alert Citizen Forum, said his organisation has been working in Dahanu for four months. “We have our own ambulance facility functional for the needy in this village. Due to lack of transport facilities, we thought of using the same ambulance to help these students attend daily classes and board exams on time.”
Talking about the medical emergency, Aher said, “Fortunately, during the commutation time of the students, there has been no medical emergency in the village. But in case of any medical emergency, we have a tempo as an alternative. Some donors have come forward to help these students by providing private vehicles. We will be using them henceforth.”
Dropouts a concern
Speaking more about the daily situation, Aher said, “We see many dropouts in school students because of lack of transportation facilities. If public transport isn’t available, few of the boys do walk over 10 km to reach the school but in the case of girl students, many opt for dropping out in such a situation.”
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