PHULBANI: At a time when the State Government is insisting on consuming safe drinking water to keep away from diseases, drinking water facility in schools run by SC/ST Development department is still a distant dream in Kandhamal district.
Students are forced to use water from nearby nullahs. The quality of water is so bad that its consumption might easily land the students in hospitals as the outlets are dirty and unhygienic. A majority of schools in the district lack potable drinking water. Tubewells and borewells are there but water does not exist, students alleged.
Sources said 54 ashram schools, 49 sevashrams and 25 high schools are running under the department in the district. While most of the schools depend on tubewells and borewells for water, these sources failed to supply adequate water due to highland and low groundwater level. During monsoon, students fall ill as they consume contaminated water of nearby nullahs and ponds.
Teachers said though drinking water crisis is prevailing in most of the schools, no step has been taken to resolve it. Every month, review meetings are held at the district level to take stock of the situation of the sevashrams and ashrams, but there is no solution to the problem, they alleged.
“Consumption of contaminated water is detrimental to kids’ health. If the purity of the water is low, it might also cause cholera, typhoid, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E,” said health experts. District Welfare Officer Karu Soren said the administration is aware of the situation and trying to resolve it soon. As schools are situated on hilly terrains, groundwater level is very low and tubewells fail to provide water, he added.