Kendrapara, Aug. 8: Schoolchildren from Buridia village risk their lives every day to go to school.

With no bridge connectivity, the schoolchildren are forced to wade through waist-deep water in a crocodile-infested creek in Burudia village under Rajkanika tehsil.

Buridia village has no schools. But parents of children in the village are as eager as any to see that their wards get the education they deserve. The nearest school is in Tarasa village, which is more than a kilometre from here. To reach the school, children wade through the rough waters of the creek that separates the two villages.

"Children wade through a virtual death trap as crocodiles could be straying into the waters from the Kharasrota river. So far, no mishap has taken place, but that doesn't mean the children are not in danger. We pray to God every day for our children's safety as they leave for school. We have no other option," said a parent, Premanand Sahu.

"The creek is narrow and it spills over during the rainy season. It is also considered a habitation corridor of salt-water crocodiles. As there are no schools in our village, we are forced to send our children to the school in the neighbouring village. However, parents accompany them for safety," said local resident Ram Chandra Mohanty.

"Parents do not send their children to school when the tides are high," said civil society group member Subhransu Sutar.

Sarpanch Tarasa gram panchayat Sanjukta Nayak said: "A proposal for construction of a bridge over the creek has been approved at the panchayat body meeting. We are waiting for financial allocation for the construction to start."

"The construction of the bridge has been taken up on a priority basis. We are concerned about the safety of children. Till the permanent bridge comes up, a temporary bamboo bridge will be built at the site shortly," said block development officer, Rajkanika, Prasant Kumar Rout.

The danger they face every day has prompted child rights activists to raise their voice.

"For the children, it is an encounter with death every day when they go to school and come back home. It's horrifying to see them cross the creek, which is a habitat of salt-water crocodiles. Parents are forced to take such risks, endangering the lives of their children. Government agencies should step in to mitigate the plight of children," said child rights' activist Biraja Pati.

The district administration needs to take up the matter expeditiously as danger lurks around the corner for these children every day, he added.