BHUBANESWAR:At a time when the Government is insisting on public and children to consume safe drinking water to keep away from diseases, potable drinking water facility in 131 primary and upper primary (UP) schools is a far cry from reality.
According to a report of the Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA), five primary schools in Balasore, two each in Bargarh and Bhadrak, one in Jagatsinghpur, 43 primary and seven UP schools in Malkangiri, 51 primary and 16 UP schools in Nabarangapur and 11 in Nayagarh do not have safe drinking water facilities for students and teachers. Due to lack of drinking water facility, students are asked to carry water from home. Allegations are also being levelled that the actual number of such schools may be even more than the OPEPA report.
On July 11, State Project Director of OPEPA Bhupendra Singh Poonia communicated the District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Project Coordinators (DPCs) of the districts concerned about the lack of drinking water facility in the primary and upper primary schools.
“Executive Engineers of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in the districts concerned have been instructed to contact the DEOs and DPCs to set up tubewells and ensure supply of drinking water to the schools on a war-footing basis,” he said.
Officials said the Block Education Officers (BEOs) have also been asked to keep track on the execution of the directive and ensure installation of tubewells or piped drinking water supply in the schools.