Kendrapada: Devastating floods have severely disrupted education in Kendrapada and Jajpur districts, with several schools inundated and their infrastructure badly damaged. In many flood-hit areas, muddy water remains stuck inside classrooms even a month after the deluge.Floods severely damaged water and sanitation facilities at several schools in riverside villages of Aul, Pattamundai, Rajnagar and Rajkanika blocks in Kendrapada district, and Bari, Dasarathpur, Binjharpur, Rasulpur, Korei and Barachana blocks in Jajpur district.As the floodwater receded, many school buildings were left covered with mud. Several schools were also turned into temporary shelters for families who lost their homes in the floods. With the district administration forced to keep schools closed for nearly a month, education has taken a backseat in several flood-hit villages. “Our home was destroyed by the floods and we have nothing left. All our books were soaked in floodwater. Our school was also under water for three days,” said Santosh Rout, a Class VI student of Jaya Hind High School at Dandisahi under Pattamundai block.Many students lost their textbooks and notebooks after floodwater inundated their homes. A primary school teacher at Singhgaon under Pattamundai block said the devastation was so widespread that proper resumption of classes could be delayed by nearly two months.The condition of several schools remains grim. Sanjay Behera, a Class IX student of Malikapur High School in Dasarathpur block of Jajpur district, said villagers had used some classrooms and verandas as temporary shelters for cattle and goats. “Some villagers converted the school rooms and verandas into temporary shelters for their cattle and goats. The verandah and six rooms of the school are now littered with cow dung and straw,” he said.Floodwater also damaged school furniture. A teacher of Bigneswar High School at Mandapada under Pattamundai block said several tables, chairs, desks and other furniture were washed away after flood water entered the school.Alapua Nodal High School at Alapua village under Pattamundai block has also been severely affected, with floodwater from the Brahmani river entering the premises and exposing poor drainage conditions in the area. Debris, including bricks, pieces of wood, concrete and broken household goods, has become visible across the flood-ravaged areas as the water recedes. “I am looking for my school textbooks and pencils,” said Ranjan Mallick, a Class VI student of Nodal Upper Primary School at Padanipala village under Aul block.Kendrapada district education officer Pabitra Mohan Barik said many schools had been affected according to a preliminary survey. “We have directed all block education officers to submit detailed reports on the flood-affected schools. After receiving the reports, the govt will provide funds to repair schools. The authorities will also provide new books to students who lost their books in the flood,” he said.