52 govt schools in Ludhiana district get funds to install RO systems, water coolers

Over 50 schools in the district are set to have potable water facility as the state government has released funds for the same.

The state education department has sanctioned a grant of Rs 31 lakh to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) office here to get water coolers and reverse osmosis (RO) systems installed at 52 government high and senior secondary schools. A sum of Rs 60,000 has been sent to each of these schools.

According to the official list, of the 52 schools that will get the facility, 47 are in rural areas, while five lie in the urban part of the district. The five urban schools are — Government Senior Secondary School, Kundanpuri; Government High School (GHS), Dhandari Kalan; GHS Chaawni Mohalla and GHS Kamran Road.

This is the first time that the authorities have sent funds for installation of RO systems in schools, as earlier it would be either to construct new rooms or toilets. As per the list, 23 are senior secondary schools and 29 are high schools.

The move will help schools provide safe drinking water to the students. Last year, water samples of many schools had failed the purity test and there was a dire need to get ROs installed in government schools.

At GHS Sehjomajra in Macchiwara, 158 students are studying in Classes 6 to 10. They drink water from the tap which comes from submersible pumps installed in the schools. Headmaster Kanwaljit Singh said, “We have received the funds from the SSA office and will start the process of installing RO with a water cooler for the students.”

District education officer (elementary) Rajinder Kaur said, “We have received the grant and disbursed the same to the selected schools. This facility will help these institutions provide filtered drinking water to the students.”