Poor hygiene standards in most civic schools

PUNE: It may be a matter closely linked to children's health and their ability to concentrate in class, but the municipal school board of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is not overly bothered. When the 1 lakh students studying in 270 PMC schools return to schools for the new academic session that commences on June 15, they need to brace themselves once again.For, what hasn't changed over the two-month long summer vacation is the squalor and stench of toilets, unwashed water tanks, the familiar sight of dysfunctional pipelines and broken taps as evinced by a recent survey carried out by the municipal school board on the state of infrastructure in its schools.
The survey, which covered 270 schools housed in 140 buildings, has revealed 201 closed or unusable toilets, 180 broken urinals and 305 broken doors (including those of toilets and classrooms). Apart from this, 287 water pipelines are non-functional, 415 taps need repairs and 125 broken gates need to be restored. In all, 61 school buildings require major painting work.
A list of repairs that needs to be carried out in various schools has been submitted to the respective civic ward offices, said Ramchandra Jadhav, administrative officer, municipal school board. However, the changes would not be carried out in time for the new academic session, as the survey was carried out in the third week of May, and the action plan was submitted to the ward offices by the end of May. "The ward offices have been given time till July 15 to complete the work," Jadhav said.
Bala Shedge, member of the school board, who initiated the survey, said it would not be possible to complete the repairs by July 15. "The survey ought to have been completed and the details submitted to the ward offices in April itself, as the academic session ended on April 13. Had the 30 school board officials, who subsequently conducted the survey, been put to work without delay, the process of repairs would have well been underway. Now it's too late. This would mean the students would have to continue to suffer the discomfort of dirty toilets, broken doors and water tanks that have not been cleaned," he said.
Jadhav pointed out that the schools had to be open until about May 5 as the results had to be declared. "Hence, the survey was carried out mid-May."
Manisha Pisal, junior engineer, PMC school board, said: "The report mentions a list of repairs/upgradation required across assorted categories in various schools. These include toilet seats and urinals, broken floorings, doors, gates, drinking water taps and window-hinges, cleaning of water tanks, cleaning/fixing pipelines and school buildings that need to be painted."
The survey covered the Peth areas of the city, Hadapsar, Kothrud, Yerawada, Ambegaon-Katraj, Kondhwa, Bibvewadi, Dattawadi and Sinhagad Road, Pisal said.
"The 14 ward offices have been asked to carry out the repairs by June 13 if possible but an extension until July 15 has been given. Our officials deputed in those areas of the city have been asked to follow up with them and submit a report about the works done," Jadhav said, adding that the expenses for the repair would be borne by the ward offices.
Manish Shroff, member-activist of the Action for the Rights of the Child, an umbrella organisation of 30 NGOs working in the field of child rights, said: "A survey we carried out in 2009 had revealed that in 48 per cent schools, toilets were in a poor state, while 38 per cent schools did not have taps in working condition. Nothing was done even after the survey was carried out. Children are forced to go to school in a dirty, unhygienic atmosphere and this is a violation of the Right to Education."
Child rights activist and member of Terre Des Hommes, Ingrid Mendonca said: "It would seem the PMC has neither the time nor the inclination or funds to fulfill the children's basic rights to clean toilets and drinking water. Our activists have checked out the state of toilets in 2009, 2010 and 2011 - the situation is consistently grim and seems to show little signs of improving."
Nirmala Hiremath, another activist, said: "We are talking of bringing the girl child to school. But dirty toilets with no water are the cause of serious infections and it directly affects the attendance rate. Words fail to express my frustration at this negligence of children's health."