Nayagarh: Students washing their utensils after having their mid deal meals at swollen Brutang river under Dasapalla block in Nayagarh district is a common scene here.
As many as 330 students read in seven batches from Class IV to Class X in Dasapalla Takera residential school.
Out of the three tube wells at the school, two are not functioning properly. The rest one quenches the thirst of the students and meets the school’s other requirements, including cooking mid-day meals.
Local residents alleged that to get a bucketful of water they have to jostle with the handle for nearly 15 minutes.
This has forced the students to go the river to wash their utensils, putting their lives at risk. At the time of washing utensils, some are also seen taking bath in the swollen river.
When asked, head master Kanan Kishore Bhoi said that the students are being sent to the river to wash their utensils since the school has water shortage.
“However, we are sending two cooks to watch over them. We have intimated the issue to the higher authorities, but to no avail yet,” Bhoi said while adding that some employees of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation office visited the school Monday and tested the water quality.
Parents have urged the administration to take steps to solve the issue.