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A government higher primary school at Biligerehundi village in T Narsipur taluk of Mysuru district has come under fire after a video clip showed students being made draw water from a sump on the campus to clean school toilets.
The incident is said to have taken place a few days ago. The school is located in the Varuna Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
In the video, students can be heard saying that their teachers instructed them to draw water and pour it into the toilet. One child is seen climbing into the water sump while another stands nearby with a bucket
The incident came to light on November 20 when a village resident, Siddharaju, visited the school to pick up his daughter from the anganwadi, according to reports.
"I saw children drawing water from a sump on the school premises. At first, I thought someone must have fallen in and they were looking into the sump. When I inquired about this, I came to know that teachers had asked the students to fetch water and clean the toilets. I recorded the incident on my phone and filed a complaint with the Block Education Officer (BEO). As per the BEO's instructions, I later filed a written complaint," Siddharaju was quoted as saying.
Recently, a student died after falling into a sump in Kolar. In this context, Siddharaju said the incident of children drawing water from the sump was alarming.
He urged the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) to take action against the school headmaster and demanded that schools appoint staff to clean toilets.
DDPI S T Javare Gowda has instructed the BEO to conduct an investigation into the incident and submit a report.