NIZAMABAD: Nizamabad Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started taking steps to improve sanitation facilities in all schools by concentrating on several private schools as part of its Swachh Bharat campaign through WhatsApp. The education department allege that private and educational institutions did not come forward to improve their sanitation facilities under Swachh Bharat programme since its inspection.
The private schools are increasing their strength every year but are not concentrating in improving the basic toilet facilities.
In this regard, the NMC, village panchayats, district medical and health officer (DMHO), education department, district panchayat officer (DPO) don not have any information regarding the status in private educational institutes.
The main reason is that the higher officials are unable concentrate on this issue and the the local level officials are not bothered about the issue concerned. “The officials are not aware about the rules or which department needs to monitor the issue,” one of officials admitted.
“The private schools do not have sufficient sanitation facilities. The management also imposes restrictions on students using the toilets due to the maintenance cost. In several schools, where the toilets are situated near the classrooms, students are falling sick regularly,” one of the member of private schools parents association said.
After keeping in mind all these issues, NMC is creating awareness about Swachh Bharat programme through WhatsApp. The DEO has provided a list of 200 schools to NMC which are under its limits for the purpose. In the Swachh Bharat WhatsApp group, more than 75 schools, from across the country, are updating their activities every day and we are sharing the same with the local schools, an official said. NMC has also invited all the schools to share their activities in their group hoping that this will help them solve the situation in all schools.
Meanwhile, NMC superintending engineer (SE) MC Balamuni told Express that they would hold meetings in every school on Swachha Bharat activities under MEPA and they will explain all issues related to sanitation to principals and teachers to improve the situation in the schools. He has said that the programme will be implemented with positive approach.