Over 1000 pupils from 13 communities in Kalba, one of the twin towns of Sawla-Tuna-Kalba in the Northern Region, have not reported to school this term due to the heavy rain in the area.

Heavy downpours have hit the area over the past few months, resulting in the displacement of families and rendering several of them homeless.

Road networks linking communities to schools are inaccessible due to the torrential rains that have taken over almost all linking sources and farms in Kalba.

Pupils are therefore on extended holidays, virtually doing doing nothing since they can not go to farms to help their parents.
 
Information available to Daily Guide suggestes that the said communities encounter this problem almost every year and nothing seems to be done about the future of these unfortunate pupils. Almost all the schools in question are not in good shape for studies.

Some youth in the area have used this opportunity to create cheap and dangerous means of transporting some community members across to other places for exorbitant fees.

The sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Chief Executive, Shakuru Bukari Alhassan noted that the district is going to face a lot of food shortages this year and therefore called on government and stakeholders to intervene.

He disclosed that the aseembly is trying to put up school buildings in all communities. This, he said, would go a long away to address the problems facing the district.

Mr Shakuru maintained that the drainage system of the district is like most rural and savanna areas. Streames, dams and dugouts wells are the major sources of drinking water to human beings and animals. Most of these sources of water dry up during the dry season.

However, he was quick to mentioned that the assembly is planning to assist the affected communities with some incentives and items to help better their living standards.
 
The DCE further said that the main goal of the district is to achieve accelerated and sustainable groth, poverty reduction, and promotion and empowerment of the vulnerable and excluded within a decentralised democratic environment.

"Thus, the main focus of development willl reflect on the conditions of the people in the district from the present state to a more improved and sustainable state through reduction of poverty and transformation of the district,"he said.

Daily Guide/DS