KORAPUT: The Kotia ashram vidyalaya (residential school meant for SC and ST students) in Koraput 's Pottangi block does not have proper facilities for tribal education. Situated about 60 km from here and bordering Andhra Pradesh , the school has classes from I to VII. But it does not have adequate teachers, classrooms, hostel seats, toilets, boundary and water facilities.The lack of adequate water has forced the 460 students, including 150 girls, to depend on the polluted stream flowing few metres away from the vidyalaya for bathing and washing clothes. "Every day we go to the stream to take a bath. Though it is very risky in the rainy season, we have no other option. We face problems as the school doesn't have toilets," said a girl student of Class VII.The leaking roofs and 150 girls staying in a 40-capacity hostel building speak volumes about their precarious condition. Quality of education has virtually collapsed as the school has only four teachers, including the headmaster, against the sanctioned strength of six. There are no teachers for mathematics, science and English."With only one tubewell in the school, the students have to depend on the nearby stream. The school requires additional classrooms and hostel building to accommodate the students," said Suresh Chandra Das, a senior teacher of the school.Contacted, project administrator of ITDA (Koraput) Manoranjan Nayak said construction of two classrooms, a staff quarter and kitchen hall is nearing completion and will soon be handed over to the school authorities. "Also, a spring-based drinking water project is under construction in the school. Once completed the water problem of the students would be solved," he said. Collector (Koraput) K Sudarshan Chakravarthy said special attention is being given to the development of Kotia and infrastructure of the school will be strengthened on a priority basis soon.

Stay updated with all the Latest Bhubaneswar headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.