For Lambada tribal children going to school everyday is nightmarish experience in Motlathanda hamlet of Mahabubabad mandal in the district. They have to walk 3 kilometres to reach school crossing a stream.
They wade through knee-deep or chest-deep water everyday and if it floods, they abstain from school for days together.
Guguloth Vasu, a 7th Standard student said that in all about 20 children from Motlathanda go to Kambhalapalli school, which is 3 km away. There is no auto rickshaw plying because it was not economical for them on that route.
The hamlet is located 11 km from Mahabubabad mandal headquarters but close to Bayyaram in Khammam district. The Motlathanda residents have to go to Bayyaram to reach Mahabubabad.
Speaking to The Hindu , Bhanoth Bhavsingh said that they could reach Mahabubabad travelling 3 km if a road was laid. “We have been asking for a road from this thanda to Mahabubabad via Akula Narayana Bunglow,” he explained.
The hamlet falls under Kambhalapalli Gram Panchayat but looks disconnected in the absence of road connectivity. The residents have to go to Kambhalapalli for all their needs - ration and other essential items. “We feel we are living on Chattisgarh border,” lamented Mr. Bhavsingh.
An 8th Standard student Angothu Santosh, Gugloth Sravani of 9th Standard and others fear that the ensuing rainy season would prevent them from going to school regularly.
“We are happy to go to school. There we learn many things. It was good if we had a proper road or a small bridge across Chinnavagu (stream),” Santosh said.
According to some of the residents, the road was sanctioned long ago but it was not executed as local politicians were not interested in it. “We are all Lambadas and local politicians discriminate against us.
Even though MP and MLA belonged to our community, they are not taking any interest strangely,” Mr. Bhavsingh said.
