Potable water shortage a threat

KOCHI: Are the children in the school safe from viral diseases? With viral diseases spreading throughout the state, it is time to look into the drinking water facility available at the schools in the city. As most schools still have no proper source of drinking water, the children are vulnerable to these fast-spreading diseases.Mukesh Jain, a social activist, alleged that schools can be easy targets for spreading waterborne diseases. “Viral diseases can spread among school children easily. One major thing is that our school don’t have any kind of facility to provide pure and safe water. The condition of government schools are very pathetic. Most of the government schools don’t have even a water filter. According to the UNESCO and the Human Rights Commission, children should be provided with water that is heated at least to 80 degree celsius. But even private schools don’t have any such facility. Neither the Education Department nor the Medical Department is taking any action in this regard” said Mukesh Jain.Though parents provide water bottles to their children, it will get empty by afternoon. Later, they have to rely on the pipe water. So just providing water bottle won’t make them safe, he added.According to Margret S, District Educational Officer, schools are provided with water filters but since water shortage is high in the city, the students don’t get any water by afternoon. “There are only a few schools that provide boiled water to the students. The situation with the government schools is pathetic. It is thanks to  the parents alone that the students are staying safe. The shortage of funds is the major reason that we can’t provide pure and safe water to the students” admitted Margret S.District Medical Officer, Dr R Sudhakaran said that schools are the most sensitive places where viral diseases can spread easily. “The hygiene and drinking water in schools is an important issue.  We conduct awareness classes and have given direction to the school managements regarding the issue. But it is a fact that schools don’t provide pure and safe water to the students,” Dr  Sudhakaran said.