Karnataka mandates water bells in schools, even as dozens lack drinking water, toilets
BENGALURU: The director of the PM-Poshan scheme in Karnataka has issued a circular, instructing all government, aided and unaided schools to introduce water bells.
However, the authorities appear to be oblivious of the reality that 61 schools in the state lack drinking water facilities and 170 of them do not have proper toilet facilities, reveal data available with the Department of School Education and Literacy.
The circular issued on Wednesday stated, “The water bell will remind children to drink water frequently, which in turn will help improve metabolism, hydration and other health factors. It has to be strictly implemented in the government, aided and unaided schools for students studying in classes from LKG to 10.”
Shashidhar Kosambe, the president of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), said, “When I visited several schools in the state, I had noticed that students drank less water for various reasons. After discussing it with the teachers there, I wrote a letter to the education and PM-Poshan department to introduce water bells in schools to remind children to consume water.”