Chronic Waterlogging Plagues Khulna School as Students Study on Desks

Madhabkati Bilpatiala Government Primary School, located in the Dumuria upazila of Khulna, Bangladesh, continues to endure severe and chronic waterlogging that affects the institution for the majority of the year. This ongoing environmental crisis severely disrupts the daily educational activities of young students and forces the school administration to implement extraordinary, makeshift measures just to keep classes running.

A photograph published recently by the Daily Star highlights the stark reality of the situation on the ground. The image shows wooden desks huddled closely together inside a classroom to create a makeshift flat surface, allowing children to attend their lessons above the stagnant water. Meanwhile, teachers are forced to sit on chairs placed upon this same elevated surface to instruct the class.

The persistent inundation at the primary school is not a new or isolated incident. Historical reporting from the area indicates that the educational institution was previously documented as waterlogged during multiple months of the preceding year, specifically in January, August, and November, demonstrating a recurrent and unresolved failure in local infrastructure.

According to findings analyzed and highlighted by RSI Lab, the root cause of the relentless drainage problem in the surrounding area is directly linked to the severe clogging of the Sholmari River silt. This environmental blockage prevents proper water runoff, trapping the floodwaters in and around the school premises for months at a time.

Adding to the frustration surrounding the lack of institutional response, the Dumuria Upazila Parishad is situated just a 10-minute walk away from the waterlogged school grounds. Despite its close proximity to the administrative offices, the students and teachers of Madhabkati Bilpatiala Government Primary School continue to await effective intervention to resolve the chronic waterlogging.