HC seeks report from state on toilets, sanitary workers at govt schools

Madurai: Madras high court on Thursday directed the state government to file a report on the availability of toilets and sanitary workers at government schools across Tamil Nadu.A division bench of Justice A D Jagadish Chandira and Justice R Poornima observed that it was a matter of serious concern affecting the hygiene of the students and sought the report.The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by an advocate G Thirumurugan. The petitioner stated that the government girls higher secondary school in Othakadai, Madurai district caters to approximately 3,000 girl students. The school is functioning without adequate permanent sanitary workers required for maintaining hygiene and cleanliness of the campus.He stated that there are only 17 toilets in the school for 3,000 students which are insufficient.

The school is dependent on temporary outsourced sanitation workers for cleaning and maintenance purposes. The cleaning work is done only once during the evening after school hours. Such an arrangement is inadequate for a school with a large number of students. The petitioner stated that girl students are affected by the inadequate sanitation facilities. Access to clean and properly maintained toilets was intrinsically connected to menstrual hygiene, privacy, dignity and health.

Inadequate maintenance often discourages students from using toilets during school hours, exposing them to various health complications and affecting their concentration and educational performance.He stated that there are also no incinerators at the school. The continued failure to provide sufficient sanitary workers and incinerators in the institution compromises the right of students to study in a healthy and safe environment.

This apart, there was only one physical education teacher. The authorities are under a constitutional and statutory obligation to ensure that government schools function with adequate infrastructure and manpower.Hence, the petitioner moved court seeking a direction to the authorities to assess the actual requirement of sanitary workers, toilets, compound wall, physical education teachers, watchmen, incinerators and water facilities in the government girls higher secondary school in Othakadai, sanction and fill the posts in the school.