Shivering with cold, a group of boys in a remote village of western India put on their uniforms after swimming across a river to make it to school. It's a morning ritual for the students of far-flung Chottaudepur district in Gujarat state. Boys and girls have no option but to plunge into the cold waters of the Hiran river, which has no bridge. Indian students, with the assistance of a parent and their belongings in a metal pot, swim across the Hiran river in the absence of a bridge to reach their school situated in Sajjanpura village of Chottaudepur district, some 180 kms from Ahmedabad on August 4, 2014. But not only school students - village women also cross over the Hiran river with empty water pots, dig a hole near the river bank and collect drinking water as the water in their village is saline.
AFP PHOTO / Sam PANTHAKY The alternative would be a 20-kilometre (12.4 mile) journey on foot. The boys can take off their uniform before getting into the river, but girls are not so lucky, and must swim with their uniforms on. Since there are no changing rooms, the girls are unable to take off their wet clothes and wear them in the classroom. "The children keep falling sick. They can't afford to miss school and look what they have to go through each day," village elder Ram Singh said. Indian students wait for their parent's assistance to swim across the Hiran river in the absence of a bridge to reach their school situated in Sajjanpura village of Chottaudepur district, some 180 kms from Ahmedabad on August 4, 2014. But not only school students - village women also cross over the Hiran river with empty water pots, dig a hole near the river bank and collect drinking water as the water in their village is saline.
AFP PHOTO / Sam PANTHAKY The villagers in the tribal area blame officials for their plight, saying they need a bridge to be constructed.

"Time and again we have requested the authorities look into our problems but nothing has happened so far," Singh said.