Even as the State Government is getting ready to adopt new norms for water and sanitation facilities for schools to make them RTE compliant, a large number of schools have to make do without the essential services.
According to a status assessment of over 5,000 Quality Schools in all 30 districts, at least seven per cent do not have drinking water facilities. Another 13 pc schools are without any toilets. More appalling, a staggering 48 pc schools just don’t have separate toilets for girls.
In about 10 pc schools in Khurda, there is no drinking water facility though the new norms call for dedicated source in each school. The situation in Kandhamal and Balangir is almost same. In fact, schools across tribal districts have no drinking water facilities.
The problem of exclusive toilets for girls is even more severe. Of the 229 schools of Balasore, 129 do not have toilets for girls. In Balangir, 190 out of 278 schools have no separate toilets for girls while in Ganjam, 199 out of 440 face the similar problem. Across tribal districts and coastal planes, the concept of separate toilets for girls is non-existent.
The Government has now approved establishment of 34,824 separate toilet units in these 5,000 schools during 2012-13.