Bombay High Court: Cognizance Taken Of Aurangabad Village Children Crossing Backwaters Of Thermocol Rafts, Warding Off Snakes To Reach School

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court in the case observed and took the suo motu cognisance of around 15 children from a village in Aurangabad rowing thermocol rafts with makeshift oars in order to cross one of the Maharashtra’s largest dams and reach school.
The Division bench comprising of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice YG Khobragade in the case observed and took cognizance of the news report published on the front page of Times of India’s Aurangabad edition titled, ‘Kids row thermocol rafts with makeshift oars to cross Jayakwadi backwaters to attend schools.’
The court in its news stated that the item in the Suo Motu PIL. This court deems it appropriate for appointing the learned Advocate Mr.PushkarShendurnikar to prepare a PIL petition in view of the Bombay High Court PIL Rules, 2010 and present the same on September 04, 2023. Thus, he being at the liberty to contact the reporter, who in the case reported the said news.
The court stated that it has been mentioned in the news that the girl named Prajakta Kale, barely 11 years old, made a daring journey, every day, across the backwaters of Jaikwadi, one of Maharashtra’s largest dams, to reach her school and she is not alone and 15 children from the BhiwDhanora village of Aurangabad district, sit on a thick thermocol sheet and use makeshift oars to cross the kilometre-long stretch of the backwaters of the dam to go to school.
It has been quoted that Prajakta saying that they carry bamboo sticks or makeshift oars to fend off water snakes that climb on the thermocol sheet as they navigate the way of them.
It has also been noted by the said court that the news item indicated that the situation has remained the same for 47 years ever since the dam was made.
Further, the publication quoted that it has been stated by Kale’s father that he did not want his children to remain illiterate like him and wanted them to learn at school. Thus, the journey becomes daunting due to the presence of venomous snakes in the water.