Chennai, Oct 8:
In a shocking incident,human excreta was allegedly mixed in a plastic drinking water tank at a government school near Palani in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, even as police, health, revenue and school department officials acted swiftly and inspected the tank leading to registration of a case against an unidentified personon Thursday, even as PMK President and Rajya Sabha Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the incident alleged that the matter was kept under wraps for two days.
The incident was reported at the Panchayat Union Primary School in Manur village, where around 100 students from the locality are studying.
The issue came to light after the school reopened on October 5 following the quarterly examination vacation.
According to the school authorities, noon-meal workers who arrived in the morning to fill the drinking water tank noticed human waste inside the plastic tank meant for storing drinking water for students. They immediately informed the headmaster, Jayakumar, following which the tank was removed, cleaned and kept separately.
According to the headmaster, the school was facing drinking water shortage and henace a plastic tank was being used to store water every day. He said the tank was found to contain human waste when employees checked it on the morning the school reopened. The matter was subsequently brought to the attention of senior Education Department officials and health officials.
The headmaster also said there was no water in the tank when the waste was found and therefore students were unlikely to have consumed contaminated water. Health officials inspected the premises following the incident.
The incident triggered concern among parents, who gathered at the school premises and staged a protest. Police from Keeranur also visited the school and conducted an inquiry with teachers and parents.
Based on a complaint lodged by the headmaster, police have registered a case against an unidentified person. Police are examining the CCTV footages in the locality to identify the culprit.
Parents alleged that the school lacked adequate basic facilities, including drinking water and sanitation. They also said an area near the school was being used for open defecation. At the same time, they acknowledged that the school administration was maintaining the campus clean.
The parents have sought improved drinking water and toilet facilities and installation of CCTV cameras on the school premises to strengthen security and ensure the health and safety of students.
In a related development, officials inspected the school after parents expressed concern that contaminated water might have been used for preparing the students’ morning meal. Officials later par took breakfast with the students as part of efforts to reassure the parents about the safety of the food.
Meanwhile, Anbumani, in a statement, here said it was shocking that the incident was allegedly kept under wraps for two days before parents of students and local residents staged a protest. Such a disgusting and inhuman act deserves strong condemnation.
The incident came to light on Monday, when the school reopened after the quarterly vacation and school staff were making preparations to cook the midday meal. The school administration immediately cleaned the water tank. It is reassuring that Education Department officials had breakfast with the students this morning, thereby seeking to allay the fears and concerns of parents about possible health risks to children who may have consumed food prepared using water from the contaminated tank.
At the same time, an inquiry must be conducted into why the incident was kept from the public and whether there was any conspiracy behind it. Those responsible for the act must be identified and arrested, Anbumani, also a former Union Health Minister, said.
The absence of a compound wall and adequate security around the school may have enabled anti-social elements to enter the premises at night and commit such an act. To prevent such incidents, compound walls must be constructed around all government schools across Tamil Nadu, including the Manur school. The drinking water tank at the Manur Government Primary School must also be replaced, he added.