Flooded rivers keep students in Edamalakkudy away from school

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Edamalakkudy: With the water level in rivers rising due to continuous heavy rains, students have been unable to reach the Edamalakkudy Tribal School for the past two weeks.
The school, located at Societykudy, the headquarters of the Edamalakkudy panchayat, has a total of 65 students across the Lower Primary and Upper Primary sections. However, only 15 students currently residing in the school hostel are able to attend classes, as the rest are cut off by flooded rivers.
Of the total enrolment, 52 students belong to the Lower Primary section and 13 to the Upper Primary. Most of them come from the neighbouring tribal settlements of Meenkothi, Nenmanal, Mulakuthara, Keezhpatham, Nooradi, and Parappaayar. As the rains intensified, the water levels in the Njavalar, Manaliyar and Parappaayar rivers that flow past these settlements have risen dangerously, making daily travel risky.
Though local residents recently constructed a temporary footbridge across the Njavalar River, crossing it remains a perilous journey. With safety concerns mounting, parents have refrained from sending their children to school through this bridge.
As a result, attendance at the Edamalakkudy Tribal School has dropped sharply.