Daily 'boating' to school: Grim state of students commuting in Pakpattan

PAKPATTAN: Students in the city of central Punjab province literally go ‘an extra mile’ to quench their thirst of knowledge, that too by covering the distance in a rudimentary wooden boat.

About 150 students in Kumhari Wala area of Pakpattan city daily commute to their government school in a makeshift wooden boat owing to a lack of proper infrastructure in the area.

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ARY News reported that a project related to the construction of a bridge over 100ft wide and 18ft deep canal has been impeding for years, however, school children have helped themselves to use the wooden boat to attend their school on a daily basis.

Without any safety measures, the students are bound to travel through 6,500 cusec water of the canal every day by pulling ropes attached between both banks of the canal.

A female student expressed her concern with ARY News that she feels scared while traveling like this, as many incidents of boat capsizing have occurred in the past. “We request the prime minister to build the bridge as soon as possible,” the girl pleaded.

Another male student shared that once he broke his shoulder while getting off the boat.

Locals of the area also voiced their request for the early construction of the bridge to avoid any incident in the future.