Thousands of students and hundreds of teachers in government schools in Thuvarankurichi-Manapparai, Thuriayur-Uppliapuram, and Kallagam-Dalmiapuram belts in the district are going through torrid times due to acute water scarcity.
Invariably, every student and teacher return home with parched throat what with the taps going dry, according to school heads.
The fervent requests of the institutions to the local bodies in their respective locations to maintain at least a minimum supply do not fructify every day. The worry of the teachers is whether the students will be able to concentrate in the classroom in a conscious state of thirst. “Each day is a struggle. The students require plenty of water to drink in the extreme heat conditions. The borewells have gone dry pushing us into a helpless situation,” Headmaster of a school in Manapparai educational district said.
The situation is worse in government girls' higher secondary schools where the water requirement is more. There are instances of schools letting students an hour or so before the scheduled time so that they need not have to remain thirsty for an extended duration, another school head said.
According to official sources, the government has reservations about keeping the schools closed to tide over the water crisis since there is a mandatory requirement to complete 210 teaching-learning days in an academic year.
“The apprehension is reasonable. But, there is nothing that prevents the government to announce holidays for a specific duration and compensate for the teaching-learning days by following a working day schedule on Saturdays at a later point of time,” Headmaster of a school in Thuraiyur-Uppiliapuram belt said.
The collective opinion of the teachers is that the government has to either fulfil its promise to supply water to schools through tanker lorries or announce holidays for a specific duration for the water crisis to subside.
