1 week ago
Betul Schoolchildren Protest Unpaved Road, Collector Promises Swift Resolution
Students and villagers in Betul travelled a long distance to complain about a bad road.
The road connects Chopna with several villages and is used by children going to school.
It is not paved and becomes muddy and full of potholes during the rainy season.
Students said they sometimes fall, arrive late, or cannot attend school.
One villager said another route involves crossing a river and adds about 10 kilometres.
The protesters asked officials to improve the road.
Collector Saurabh Sonawane spoke with some of them and said the problem would be resolved soon.
However, he said bringing children to the protest was inappropriate and could affect their safety.
The residents said they had complained about the road many times before.
About 50 schoolchildren, parents and Chopna residents travelled roughly 70 km to Betul’s district collectorate to protest an unpaved road.
They said the 1.8-km road between Lakhipur and Jholi-1 serves Chopna and approximately 14 nearby villages.
Students said the road becomes muddy and filled with potholes during the monsoon, making school travel difficult and unsafe.
Collector Saurabh Sonawane met some protesters and assured them the issue would be resolved soon.
Sonawane called the protest method inappropriate, while residents said repeated complaints about the road had not produced a solution.
- Who
- About 50 schoolchildren, their parents and residents of Chopna, along with Betul Collector Saurabh Sonawane.
- What
- The students and villagers protested to demand improvement of an unpaved road used for school and village travel.
- Where
- Outside the district magistrate’s office at the Betul district collectorate in Madhya Pradesh.
- When
- August 25.
- Why
- They said the 1.8-km road is muddy and unsafe during the monsoon, causing falls, delays and missed school attendance.
Students and Villagers
District Administration
Need for Immediate Road Improvement
Students and Villagers
Residents and students said the road has remained unpaved for years and makes school and daily travel difficult, particularly during the monsoon.
District Administration
The collector said the government was already aware of the matter and assured protesters that it would be resolved soon.
Method of Protest
Students and Villagers
The students, parents and villagers travelled to the collectorate and staged a one-hour protest to draw attention to repeated complaints.
District Administration
Collector Saurabh Sonawane described mobilising children for the protest as inappropriate, influenced by social media trends and potentially affecting their safety.
How Concerns Should Be Raised
Students and Villagers
Villager Laxman Haldar said repeated complaints had not resolved the road problem.
District Administration
The collector said people could raise concerns through open channels and that the issue should be addressed through discussions with officials.
Key facts
- Protesters
- About 50 schoolchildren, parents and residents
- Travel distance
- Roughly 70 km to the district collectorate
- Road length
- 1.8 km between Lakhipur village and Jholi-1
- Area served
- Chopna and approximately 14 villages
- Main problem
- The road is unpaved, muddy and pothole-riddled, especially during the monsoon
- Alternative route
- Requires crossing a river and adds about 10 km
- Administrative response
- Collector Saurabh Sonawane assured protesters the issue would be resolved soon
Quotes
Laxman Haldar
A villager who said repeated complaints about the road had not produced a resolution.
“We often fall while going to school. Many girls have broken their limbs. Books get wet. Many times, we are denied entry into the school as we end up arriving late.”
theprint.in
“There is an alternative route, but it requires crossing a river, which can be risky and increases the distance by 10 kilometres.”
theprint.in
Sources
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