Soon,schoolkids to get purified water with mid-day meals

It also says the schools will be provided 100 ml bottles of sodium hypo-chlorite grade 1 solution to purify drinking water. The director of primary education has been asked to place orders for the solution to the Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation besides providing guidelines to schools on using the solution.

Primary education director MR Kadam confirmed receiving the guidelines. “We will soon give instructions to district education officers regarding the use of solution for purifying drinking water.”

Sharad Agarkhedkar,paediatrician and president of Pune chapter of Indian Medical Association,lauded the decision. “Water-borne diseases such as amoebiasis,diarrhoea or typhoid are common among children in the city. The source is definitely drinking water.

The move to purify drinking water in schools will definitely help control these diseases.”

Agarkhedkar,however,said a proper procedure should be followed for purifying water. “The water tanks should be refilled in the evening and the solution mixed in them. The water will be sterilised by the next morning. The effect will be seen if the procedure is followed.”

Childline director Anuaradha Sahasrabuddhe said besides purifying water,cleaning of water tanks and pipelines was also necessary. “In many schools,there is negligence on the part of basic cleanliness. Schools should pay heed to these issues,too.”