The scarcity of water plaguing Bengaluru is now affecting the private schools in the city. Students and teachers are rendered helpless by the deteriorating situation, hence the Associated Managements of Primary & Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), which has all private schools under its jurisdiction, had a meeting on Sunday, March 10, with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and submitted a memorandum putting forth a request to the government to help find a resolution to the issue, The New Indian Express reported,
The letter details problems of hygiene in school
The letter that was forwarded to the government details reasons why schools require more water than designated for use. The association highlighted that schools cannot declare holidays due to the examinations that are being conducted for different classes, water is needed for the proper maintenance of hygiene in toilets and other areas, and water must be released more than once a week to these schools.
"The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is only releasing water once a week, which is insufficient in many schools. If the toilets meant for students are not kept clean, it will have a direct impact on their health." read the letter.
They further express their distress as the private tankers are no longer supplying water to schools as they are under the government's control, which is creating a challenge.
Plea for water at subsidised rates
The association requested the Karnataka government to help private educational institutions prioritise their needs and instruct the BWSSB to supply water to the schools at subsidised rates as students' health and future must be addressed, The New Indian Express reports.
Adding emphasis on the preservation of water and methods being used to reduce wastage, General Secretary of KAMS, Shashi Kumar D, said, "Educational institutes are mostly dependent on BWSSB water supply or groundwater through borewells, which have now gone completely dry. Schools are storing water in huge drums and tanks so that there is a reduction in wastage of water."
He also declared that both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister have instructed BWSSB to cooperate with schools, in order to alleviate the ongoing problem.
