Schools to arrange for basic facilities of water,toilets

In a directive issued on Wednesday,the Supreme Court set a six-month deadline to create proper drinking water and toilet facilities in all the schools irrespective of their status — minority or non-minority.

According to Shubhangi Chavan,PMC Deputy Education Officer,“almost all” 300 civic body-run schools have both these facilities but the number of toilet blocks are not as per norms set up by the state. The norm states there should be one toilet block and three urinals for every 100-120 student. In a number of schools there are no separate toilets for girls and boys in schools which operate in two shifts with girls in morning shift and boys in the afternoon.

“With a couple of exceptions,there are toilet facilities in all the schools run by the PMC. But we will have to construct more toilet blocks. The Building Construction Department which is responsible to maintain cleanliness in schools has sprung into action and we will construct the required number of toilet blocks and urinals before the SC deadline,” said Chavan.

Of the Rs 2 crore budget allotted for sanitary facilities at civic schools for 2010-11,only Rs 21 lakh was utilised,officials said. School board officials said at the schools which do not have toilets,for instance one in Kokate Vasti,the PMC is facing trouble to construct them as these schools are built on rented land and the PMC does not have the owner’s permission to build the toilets.

In Pimpri-Chinchwad,education department officials said they have adequate number of toilets and water facilities in schools,but these need to be strengthened. “Following the SC directive,we have drawn up a plan to improve the water and toilet facilities in all our schools,” said PCMC education official Vishnu Jadhav. The PCMC has 134 primary and secondary schools with a student count of 60,000. Jadhav said PCMC will next week issue directives to private schools to ensure they put proper water and toilet facilities on their premises. Pimpri-Chinchwad has over 200 schools with a student strength of 2.60 lakh.

Deputy education officer of Pune Zilla Parishad P H Mahajan said till last year many ZP-run schools in the district did not have toilets and urinal blocks but following an HC order,all these schools have been equipped with required number of toilets and urinals.

Parents have welcomed the SC order. “In one of the private schools in Pimpri,toilet blocks are located at the entry gate which spreads stinks in the entire premise. Students suffer in silence. Now,some sense will prevail among the management of private schools whose main focus is increasing fees,” said a parent,Ikhlas Sayeed.