Kurnool: Girl students studying in government and some private schools in Kurnool district are facing a big challenge due to inadequate toilet facilities in schools. For about 19,700 students, only 240 toilets are available.
According to the rules, there should be one toilet for every 10 students. But the reality is that more than 82 students are using the same toilet. The condition of government schools is even worse. One toilet is used by 340 students.
Urologists have expressed concern that due to lack of adequate toilets, female students are getting urinary infections. Hundreds of them suffer from dehydration, as many avoid drinking enough water to avoid using the school toilet.
Under the second phase of the Nadu-Nedu initiative, over Rs 100 crore was allocated and the toilet works were handed over to contractors. However, in some places, the contractor has stopped the work after not accepting the bill. In many toilets, there is no provision for adequate and continuous water supply. Because of this, the girl students have to suffer.
In some cases, girl students are forced to go to nearby friends’ houses or the nearest bus stand or railway station for toilet facilities.
Only 28 toilets are available in Kodumuru Zilla Parishad Girls High School, which has an enrollment of 1,338 girls. Some of them have dilapidated toilets and some have damaged water pipes.
In Kurnool city, schools like Damodaram Sanjeevayya School and APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Municipal School serve 150 students each from class 1 to class 10. Toilets were constructed in these schools at a cost of Rs.17.80 lakhs. However, due to lack of drinking water, most of the schools have not been able to use these toilets.
There is a severe lack of toilets in the Government Girls High School in Adoni town. About 700 students from the hostel and 400 students from nearby villages are studying in this school.
Girl students are being deprived of drinking water due to the fear of having trouble getting toilets in government and private schools due to inadequacy of toilets or lack of maintenance. Some students do not go to the toilet from morning to evening, which increases the risk of infection.
Dr. Bhaskar Reddy, a urology expert, has expressed his concern about the risk to health. Student leaders have repeatedly demanded the state government to arrange adequate toilets.
When contacted, a senior official of the district education department said that he would submit a proposal for the necessary toilets at the end of the current academic year so that they could be constructed during the holidays.