Bhootni HS exams will be held at relocated centres in Manikchak after three schools in Malda’s flood-hit Bhootni area remained submerged, with the district administration moving 636 students and arranging their accommodation, meals and transport before the examinations begin.
The higher secondary third-semester examinations were scheduled to start on Monday, but the original examination centre in Bhootni’s Char area became unusable after floodwater entered the premises. North Chandipur BP High School, Chandipur High School and Amtola Nanditola High School have reportedly remained under water for around 15 days following erosion and flooding.
The district administration has shifted the examination arrangements to three schools in Manikchak. Students from the affected area were brought in stages by boat on Saturday and Sunday and kept near the examination venues. They will stay in government-arranged accommodation and continue taking their examinations from Manikchak until water recedes from their homes and schools.
Additional District Magistrate Saptarshi Nag and other officials met the students near Bhootni Bridge on Sunday, distributing examination notebooks and pens and conveying their wishes for success. The administration said shifting the students was necessary because travelling by boat through the flooded area every day would not be feasible during the examination schedule.
The response highlights the immediate logistical challenge faced by students in a riverine area where schools, roads and regular transport links have been disrupted at the same time. While the relocation protects access to the examination process, students remain separated from their homes and schools until local conditions improve.
Flood conditions in Bhootni have shown some improvement, according to local sources cited in the report. Water levels in several areas across three gram panchayats reportedly fell by about two feet over the previous 24 hours, allowing some residents to resume motorcycle travel on parts of the road network. However, substantial areas remained affected.
Manikchak MLA Gourchandra Mondal visited the area near Bhootni Bridge on Sunday and spoke with residents about the situation. He assured residents that damaged roads would be repaired and said free bus services would operate from Bhootni Bridge until the area returned to normal. The district administration’s immediate focus remains the conduct of the examinations and the students’ stay in Manikchak while floodwater continues to recede.
