Shimla, July 24 -- Due to the absence of a bridge on the Banni Mata Nullah in Bharmour of Chamba district, schoolchildren put their lives in danger to reach their school everyday. The situation is so bad that when the nullah overflows during monsoon, parents have to carry their wards on their backs to take them to the school. Due to sudden water flow in the nullah on Wednesday, the locals made the children cross the water body by carrying them on their backs. The children from villages Banni and Bhadra cross the nullah daily to reach Mandha School in Bharmour. Banni Mata Nullah is a stream near Banni Mata Temple, an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, located in Chamba district. The students of Mandha School of Bharmour are daily risking their lives to cross the nullah to reach the school. More than 25 students attend the Mandha Senior Secondary School by crossing this nullah, the water levels of which rises even after a light rain. Local residents say they have raised the issue several times and demanded construction of a bridge across the nullah, but it is turned down each time due to paucity of funds. Ward panch Ramesh Kumar said that they have been demanding construction of the bridge for a long time but nothing has been done so far. He said that the devotees who visit Banni Mata temple also have to cross the nullah. "For the last two years I have been pushing for the construction of the bridge on the nullah but nothing has moved on the ground for lack of funds. The tenders have already been allotted but citing lack of funds the PWD department and local administration is not paying any heed," said Janak Raj, a local MLA. Education minister Rohit Thakur said, "The safety of the children is paramount. The issue has been brought to my notice and we will ensure the work of the construction of the bridge is done at the earliest." About 65 students of a primary school in Kasumpti area in the suburbs of Shimla were shifted to a nearby community centre after the retaining wall of the school collapsed on Wednesday....