Water scheme reaches only 469 schools

PUNE: Out of the 8,787-odd primary schools and Anganwadis in rural Maharashtra, which were targeted for implementing water supply schemes during 2010-11, the state water and sanitation department has reached only about 469 schools until March 26, 2011.
One of the reasons cited by the officials for the low performance is that the clause of 10 per cent public contribution for such projects is not feasible.
"There is a clause that people should also contribute 10 per cent of the project cost, so that the projects are maintained well by villagers. But in many small hamlets, there is a difficulty in raising this money from people and the project remains incomplete," Santosh Kamble, one of the officials from the department said.
In order to improve the situation, the state water and sanitation department has issued a Government Resolution (GR) to cancel the clause.
However, another official told TOI on condition of anonymity that it is not just the 10 per cent clause that is a hurdle in implementing the scheme.
"Most of these schools are in the interiors. It is very difficult to provide the facility of piped water supply in remote areas. The source of water is mostly far from such hamlets. The schemes have been implemented, wherever it was possible," he said.
He added that water provision has been made by filling up huge vessels in schools with water fetched from the nearest available well. He also maintained that only 15 per cent schools in the state remain to be provided water supply.
"There are a total of 59,073 Anganwadis and primary schools, out of which 47,976 have water supply. Of the remaining 11,075, about 5,275 have either drinking water supply (2,120) or for sanitation purposes (3,155). The remaining 5,822 have no water supply at all. Therefore, we can say that at least 85 per cent schools are covered," the official said.