As schools reopen, Matheran students forced to walk up to 5 kms due to no vehicles

Students walk to their schools, as Matheran, being an eco-sensitive zone, does not have transport

As schools have reopened for in-person classes, it is again a long walk for children in Matheran. Due to no vehicle availability, the students are forced to walk up to 5 kms daily to their school. Matheran being an eco-sensitive zone, regular vehicles do not have the permission to operate here and the demand for e-rickshaw by the locals has been pending for a long time now.

Matheran is known to Mumbaikars as one of the most popular weekend getaways near the city, but not many are aware of the plight of children in this hill station for basic school education. Also given there are only two schools, students do not have options.

"I have been living here all my life. I had to walk to my school as a student and now that I work as a teacher, I still take the same path. And now it's my son's turn. How long do we have to wait for some transportation measures," asked Swati Sunil Kumar. She also shared how riding a horse to travel every day is not really an option for many as it can be expensive.

Another local, Sunil Shinde, who has filed a petition in Bombay High Court for e-rickshaw in Matheran, said, "We began this struggle looking at the plight of those pulling rickshaws in Matheran with bare hands. That is really inhuman, especially now when we have environment-friendly options of commuting, such as e-rickshaw. It is important to note the struggle of the children too. Unfortunately, if a child has physical disability, the family has no option but to relocate as carrying the child every day to school is not an option."

A teacher from St Xavier's High School in Matheran said, "By the time students reach school, they are tired and breathless; now even more so with masks. If any equipment stops working in school, we have to wait longer for repair as most of the time the request is denied as the person will have to walk up."

Teachers MLC Kapil Patil raised this issue in the Assembly session and accordingly, the state sent a proposal for eco-friendly transportation in February 2018. "But since it is an eco-sensitive zone, the Central government asked us to approach the Supreme Court, which led to the High Court where the petition is now pending for hearing," said Shinde.