Paradip, July 21: A government-run school here has been temporarily shut down after snakes made their way into the classrooms.

Classes are now being held on an open field - in a straw thatched building at Gholapada project primary school under ward No. 5 of the Paradip Municipality.

Classes were suspended yesterday when snakes started making their way into the classrooms. The classes are being held from today on a field near the school under the cover of trees.

"Children had spotted two snakes inside the classroom. We all got frightened. Classes were suspended immediately to drive away the snakes from the classroom," said headmistress of the project primary school Mirangini Dei.

Parents and guardians were scared and stopped sending the children to school. "But, we managed to convince them to let the kids return. To ensure their safety, classes have been shifted to a field nearby," said Dei.

"The school was running from a straw-thatched house. It had turned into a safe habitat for snakes as monsoon set in. The safety of our children is at stake. The government needs to construct a pucca school building," said a guardian Sudarshan Mandal.

"I saw the snakes. I am scared. I'm feeling better now that classes are being held under the open air," said Class III student Mantu Mandal.

"There has been a delay in construction of the school building because of unavailability of land. Funds worth Rs 6 lakh have been sanctioned for the school building project. Once Paradip port provides us with land, the construction of school building will resume," said Sapan Kumar Jena, district project co-ordinator of the Sarva Siskhya Abhiyan.

Jena said the Paradip Port Trust had been apprised of the land requirement. "Until the new building is constructed, we plan to relocate the school to a nearby municipality community hall to ensure the safety of students," he said. An official of the port trust said: "The port has taken up the matter as it is affecting a priority sector like primary education."