Deogarh: Students of Sunamunda-based Navodaya Vidyalaya School in Deogarh district skipped classes, and staged a protest on the school premises over lack of water.
The angry students refused to attend classes until steps were taken to provide adequate water at the school hostel. The few taps in the bathrooms are broken, the students said.
The school lacks clean drinking water, toilets and hand washing facilities, exposing the children to disease. The students do not have basic hygiene facilities at the hostel.
Most of the time, the students have to go to a nearby pond and defecate in the open, and also take bath. However, with the onset of winter, it is very cold in the mornings and students face problems in going to the pond. Moreover, it is foggy outside and the students are unable to go to the pond safely.
The taps in the hostel became unusable days ago. However, nothing has been done to repair them despite complaints, the students said. The lack of safe water and sanitation facilities can lead to dehydration, illness and even death, they said.
Most of the schools lack safe drinking water, adequate toilet facilities and sanitation. The schools also do not have proper hand washing facilities, essential for preventing infections.
PNN