Lone school in Kainakary back on track

Alappuzha: SNDP Higher Secondary School, Kuttamangalam, the only higher secondary school in Kainakary with 750 students, is finally back on track after the devastating floods.

The school, founded in 1938 was shut on July 17 after the flood waters breached the Paruthivalavu bund. It reopened on Wednesday after lying submerged for two months, resulting in a loss of Rs 50 lakh as five labs, furniture, myriads of files and documents washed away and acres of plantains the students cultivated wholly damaged.

The school now needs to begin life anew. Situated in the lowest lying places of Kainakary, the school had experienced annual flooding, but the water never exceeded beyond the basement.

It stood beside the Paruthivalavu Padasekharam, but it attracted many outsiders as it offers tranquillity and calmness without air and noise pollution.

The students reach every day strolling down a kilometre-long private road from the SNDP jetty. For them, studying here is not only a strange experience but also a nostalgic affair.         

Ranjith Gopi, the headmaster, said the second flooding since August 15 caused the real damage.

"We had moved files and documents and other valuables to upper spaces,” he said. “We hoped that water would recede after reaching a certain level. But, the second flooding broke all expectations.”

All documents of students kept in the school were damaged. Shelves, almirahs, computers, and storerooms were in the water.

The water receded completely a couple of days ago after pumping works started to drain the area. But the floor and buildings remain wet.

According to him, at least 60 microscopes had washed away and the entire equipment in the labs destroyed.

K.S. Beena, a teacher, is confident to restore normalcy. She says the response of students was encouraging. But many families left homeless still live in camps or with relatives. “Many organisations have come forward to help lower graders who lost their uniforms and study materials,” she says.

“Voluntary organisations and higher secondary education department had enumerated the losses. We hope they would return with help.”

“Look,” she adds, “this is lowest lying area of Kuttanad. And therefore there is no surprise in flooding. We need to have flood-friendly buildings.”

They had sent higher secondary school students from all eight batches to another one in the town with the special sanction of the department.

“So there is no concern about the lagging of portions,” she asserts. “Now all classes in the HS section are being conducted in full strength.”