Obtaining safe drinking water for students in the government school located in Rampara village, Umerkote block of Odisha's Nabarangpur district has become a challenging task. Due to the onset of summer, the students' hardship has increased as they have to walk over 500 metres to collect clean drinking water, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
According to Sourabh Mali, a resident of Rampara village, the prospect of piped water is far-fetched for the students as the school lacks a tube well to cater to their daily needs. As a result, the students are compelled to collect water from the village stand post, which is situated more than 500 metres away from the school. He added, "The government has taken several measures to provide drinking water in schools. But in our primary school, there is no such facility due to the careless attitude of the officials concerned," as reported by The New Indian Express.
The government primary school was founded in 2014 and has an enrolment of 179 students from classes I to V. Dibya Gond, another resident of the village, stated that the absence of a drinking water facility makes it challenging to cook mid-day meals for the students. As a result, the school authorities encounter frequent issues while preparing mid-day meals for the students.
He added, "Besides, the students have to find solace in nearby bushes to answer nature's call. Various schemes have been launched to attract students to schools in rural areas. But it seems Rampara is an exception as the children of this village have been left to fend for themselves," as reported by The New Indian Express.
The district officials did not take any action despite several requests made by the villagers to install a tube well on the school premises.
