MADURAI: Concerned about the health, hygiene and safety of students in government schools, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has directed the state to construct about 75,000 toilets and compound walls in those government and aided schools bereft of them, within a period of three years. It has also ordered the state to appoint night watchmen by next academic year.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by health activist C Anantharaj of Madurai, the court had earlier appointed three advocate commissions to find out the ground reality of toilet facilities available in the government and aided schools in Madurai, Dindigul and Thanjavur districts.
A sample survey conducted by the commissions brought to fore the unavailability of toilet facilities in a majority of the schools in the three districts, following which the court called for a status report from the school education secretary.
In the report, the official said 28,25,764 students are studying in government schools across the state. Considering the ratio of one toilet per 20 students, the schools were in need of 1,41,288 toilets. While only 66,610 toilets have been built thus far, 74,678 toilets need to be constructed, it was submitted.
When the petition was heard on Friday, a division bench of Justices S Nagamuthu and M V Muralidaran said the government could proceed with its plan to build 22,000 toilets this academic year, but it should construct toilets in all government girls’ and co-eduation schools by 2017-18, and in all boys schools by 2018-19, so as to achieve cent percent sanitation.
Advocate General R Muthukumarasamy submitted two GOs issued this month regarding maintenance of toilets and other buildings in the schools. The orders stated that the local administrations should earmark funds from the income generated from education cess and property tax to the government schools in their jurisdiction for maintenance purpose. “The government has passed these orders only after the court took up the current petition,” the bench said.
Disposing the petition, the judges directed the department to equip all the schools with sanitary napkin vending machines, if not ensure adequate supply of napkins.