Students in Odisha Brave Rain for Mid-Day Meals: A Call for Infrastructure Improvement

In Nandapur, Odisha, students are enduring challenging conditions as they eat their mid-day meals under umbrellas due to inadequate dining facilities. This situation has arisen after 16 days of continuous rainfall, prompting local school management to voice their concerns. With nearly 95% of schools lacking proper dining halls, the community is urging the administration to take immediate action. Officials have acknowledged the need for infrastructure improvements and are planning to construct dining halls using allocated funds. The goal is to ensure that students can eat comfortably and safely in the coming year. Read on to learn more about this pressing issue affecting education in Odisha.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 8, 2025, 09:10 IST

Rainy Days Force Students to Eat Under Umbrellas

In Nandapur, Odisha, persistent rainfall caused by low-pressure systems has led to challenging conditions for students over the past 16 days. In the Koraput district's Nandapur block, students have been compelled to consume their mid-day meals outdoors while shielding themselves with umbrellas due to the lack of adequate dining facilities in their schools and hostels.

This situation came to light when approximately 140 girls from the Marada Sevashram School in Hikimput panchayat were spotted eating their meals under umbrellas on Monday. This prompted members of the school management committee, including chairman Hari Dora and ward member Kamulu Lochan Dora, to express their concerns regarding the headmaster, Udaynath Kirshani.

The headmaster explained that the absence of infrastructure, such as classrooms and a dining hall, was the reason for this predicament. He mentioned that he had already communicated the issue to higher authorities through the block Welfare Extension Officer.

The situation was also reported to block Welfare Extension Officer Nagen Tripathy, District Welfare Officer Sunil Kumar Tandi, and Assistant Block Education Officer (ABEO) Mumtaj Gomang. They acknowledged that Nandapur block hosts 18 Welfare department schools and 45 School and Mass Education (S&ME) department schools, with over 4,500 students currently residing in these facilities.

Images and reports from the Welfare department-run residential schools and other government institutions depicted students drenched in rain while trying to eat their meals. This has led to significant dissatisfaction among students and their families, prompting local residents to call for immediate action to rectify the infrastructure deficiencies.

According to ABEO Gomang, 16,034 students across 190 S&ME department schools in Nandapur block are receiving mid-day meals. However, she noted that nearly 95% of these schools lack proper dining halls, leaving most students without a dedicated space to eat comfortably.

Officials from various departments have reportedly alerted district and state administrations about the urgent need for dining hall construction. This issue was discussed during a recent district-level ITDA-PLC meeting, chaired by Koraput Collector V Keerthi Vasan, where all local MLAs were present.

To tackle this pressing issue, the administration plans to utilize funds from Article 275 and other schemes to gradually build dining halls in all schools throughout the district. Collector Vasan confirmed that the objective is to have these facilities completed within the next year.