Bhubaneswar: As many as 14 school kids of Digisira village in Banibhusanpur panchayat under Harbhanga block of Boudh district had to spend the night in a motor garage after failing to return home from school on Friday.
These students from Digisira daily go to Charichakk to attend school by crossing the Laxmi nullah which falls along the way.
According to reports, like any other day, they were returning home after attending school on Friday.
But heavy rainfall upstream had resulted in flash floods at the Laxmi nullah.
While these students tried to cross the nullah two of them had a narrow escape from being swept away. However, their bicycles got swept away due to the current in the nullah.
As evening approached with the setting of the sun, it grew darker, left with little option, the kids took shelter for the night in a roadside motor garage.
After water flow in the nullah receded today in the morning, the kids were taken back home by their parents.
Meanwhile, the two bicycles that were swept away have been recovered downstream of the nullah.
Locals have demanded construction of a bridge over the nullah.
The incident brings to light the emptiness of the oft-repeated slogans of ‘vikash’ by the politicians.
