More than 2100 schools across Jammu and Kashmir have no toilet facilities for their students, official data accessed by Greater Kashmir reveals.
These include 792 girls’ schools and 1343 for boys.
Also, more than 3200 government schools from primary to higher secondary level are without proper drinking water facilities for students enrolled in these institutions.
The figures raise questions about efficiency of implementation of centrally sponsored schemes like ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) was officially launched in October 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi under which school education department was entrusted to construct toilet blocks in the educational institutions which are without the facility.
The toilet blocks were constructed in a time-bound manner in collaboration with union ministry of drinking water and sanitation.
“That time school education department claimed to have completed 100 percent target for construction of toilet blocks in schools, particularly girls’ institutions. But the report was not perfect as most of the schools are still without toilet blocks,” a top government official admitted.
The education department has started an exhaustive exercise to collect district-wise details of schools with functional toilets and dysfunctional toilets and schools which don’t have any toilet block constructed in the campus.
“Most of the toilet blocks in schools are dysfunctional as they didn’t last long after constructed in the campuses under various schemes,” the official said.
Baramulla district is a case in place where around 391 government schools have dysfunctional toilets.
“Same is the case with other districts as well. The toilet blocks were constructed for schools but are now dysfunctional given the poor quality of work executed by department,” the official said.
He said a revival plan has been started under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for dysfunctional toilet blocks besides construction of new toilet blocks where there are none.
“The concerned CEOs have submitted the details to planning department for further course of action.”
Secretary school education department Rigzin Sampheal said construction of toilets for schools was a contentious process.
“Funds are available with us which will be utilised for construction of new toilet blocks in schools which are without this facility and dysfunctional blocks will be repaired as well,” Sampheal said.