Murbad: Education is meant to be life-transforming but for children in Bangarwadi, a tribal village, which is located on the border of Kalyan and Murbad talukas, it is a life-threatening situation every day because their village has one rough road leading out of the village and a 'river' runs through it. Bangarwadi has a population of 200 and their only access to the outside world is through this one road. On the one hand, the state's mantra is to educate all but on the other hand, they are not doing enough to provide basic infrastructure in such remote villages. The rough road lies between Kundagaon and Bangarwadi. To reach another village, the city or the taluka, this is the only way out for all residents, be they aged, differently abled, students or women. Around 2.5km down the road is a water channel wayfarers must cross.
The water is waist-deep for adults while for children, it is chest-deep and for the smaller ones, it is practically life-threatening to wade through. But this has not deterred students from regularly attending school. The government has refused to address their problems and the situation has existed for years, claim villagers. The area comes under the Murbad assembly constituency and Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency. Villagers say they have gone in tempos to complain to Kisan Kathore, the local Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and he has brushed it aside saying, “Is this the only problem every time?” Gram sevaks have said since the road goes through private land, it becomes difficult for them to use it.
