As the clock ticked past 12 at the Government Primary and High School at Musheerabad on Friday afternoon, nine-year old Nazreen was ready for lunch. Behind her smiling face, however, is an everyday horror she and her classmates have – the lack of toilets at the institution.
“They threatened us that they would break our legs if we enter toilets in the other building,” said Nazreen, pointing to the high school section on the premises, when asked why they could go to toilets there.
Her classmate, Tehreen, concurred, while adding that some teachers would even scold them if they were to use the toilet in the high school building.
Like them, all the girls in the primary classes have no access to toilets in their school, as they emanate a foul smell. Teachers from the institution acknowledge the issue, and say water shortage is to blame. In fact, it is no different for the boys at the school – they have to relieve themselves in the open as their toilets are unusable or require repair.
The situation is grim even at the Rasoolpura Government Primary and High School.
Manju (name changed), a class VII student, only shrugged when asked whether toilets in the school were accessible or not.
“Most of us stay nearby, so we go home to use the washroom and then return, because there is no water here,” she said.
The problems at both schools were highlighted by members of the Basti Vikas Manch (BVM), who have been working to highlight the lack of basic amenities in government schools in the city. In fact, the boys’ toilet was locked up when The Hindu paid a visit to the institution.
“The drainage is completely blocked by outsiders, and whenever the toilet is used, the entire corridor stinks. The maintenance cost is high, and we don’t get sufficient funds,” said a senior teacher from the school, throwing up his hands in helplessness.
