JOIN USSome 300 government schools in the capital do not have drinking water facility yet, the Delhi government has found. It has now set a deadline of three months to provide the basic amenity.
The Aam Aadmi Party government is set to launch a mission to provide clean drinking water within three months in 300 schools in the city.
“We conducted a study and found that till date 300 government schools don’t have drinking water, which is a very sorry state of affairs. So we decided to take this step as drinking water is a basic necessity,” a senior Delhi government official said.
A deadline of three months has been set to complete the mission, he said, adding the Department of Education, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Delhi Jal Board will be coordinating in this connection.
A high-level meeting between the three departments will soon be held and an action plan will be formulated, he said.
“The study found that most of these schools had not applied for water connection or some who had applied could not get the facility as the DJB did not have its water network in that area,” AAP Minister and DJB Chairman Kapil Mishra said.
“But now all the flaws in the network will be rectified and drinking water will be available in these government schools within three months,” the minister added.
According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission in June over the “pathetic state of affairs” at schools run by the government, a survey conducted by its Education Department found that government schools lacked clean drinking water and toilet facilities.
The state government had recently also tied up with Rotary Club for revamping government schools by upgrading sanitation and strengthening basic infrastructure facilities like drinking water and toilets.