Northeast's only floating school on Loktak Lake struggles to stay afloat

Eight years after Northeast Indias first floating elementary school was set up for children of the fishing community on Loktak Lake in Manipur the school is now battling to surviveWith the community finding no other way to keep the school running they have sought government helpThe Loktak Floating Elementary School was set up in 2017 at Langolsabi Leikai in Champu Khangpok a floating village of nearly 330 residentsIt was built atop thick floating masses of aquatic vegetation known as phumdis a hallmark of Loktak Lake These floating biomass islands about 4 to 5 feet thick support both huts and the school itselfRajen Oinam secretary of the All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen Union Manipur which runs the school told PTI The oneroom school measuring 24 by 15 feet lacks even basic infrastructure such as desks and tables We had a lot of hope when we started but this year alone seven students dropped out Only 23 students are currently enrolled up to class 2 Classes are held from 8 am to noon twice a weekChildren not only from Champu Khangpok but also from distant floating huts come here to learn how to read and write However ever since ethnic violence erupted in the state weve been preoccupied with managing relief camps for internally displaced persons IDPs which has taken our focus away from the school he addedSharing a unique feature of the huts built on floating phumdis Oinam said Often the huts drift away overnight to another location in some cases more than 3 km away when there are thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds To prevent this huts are stabilised by anchoring bamboo poles into the lakebed The school itself is tied with ropes to keep it from floating awayReaching the school is a challengeIt takes about oneandahalf hours by traditional wooden canoe from Ningthoukhong Project Gate in Bishnupur district said OinamWhile most huts use bamboo for flooring the school uses wooden boards covered with carpets Apart from solarpowered electricity the village has no modern amenities he addedThough villagers have been trying hard the school still lacks official recognitionWe have submitted applications to the authorities in Bishnupur district but there has been no response With government recognition we could get support for infrastructure and teacher salaries For now the Bishnupurbased People Resources Development Association keeps the school running by supplying books stationery and minimal salaries for the teachers Oinam saidN Kumar a fisherman and resident of the floating village explained why the school mattersThere are schools on land in Bishnupur but theyre over an hour away Parents have to wait for classes to finish to bring their children back This is timeconsuming and expensive Since both men and women in our community fish to sustain the family the floating school is more convenient he addedDespite being surrounded by water residents face a scarcity of safe drinking waterThe lake water is often contaminated due to untreated urban waste and solid plastics We collect cleaner water from deeper parts of the lake then boil or filter it before drinking Kumar addedMost huts on the phumdis are compact and multifunctionalHuts made of reeds are generally about 20 by 15 feet and 10 feet high Cooking eating and sleeping all happen in that one room he saidRamananda Wangkheirakpam a functionary with Ngamee Lup a federation of fishermen unions said The floating school is meant for small children who need constant supervision Older children are sent to boarding schools in Imphal and elsewhereThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever