Serilingampally ZPHS Students Face Health Risks Due to Deplorable Toilets

Hyderabad: Students of Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Serilingampally are often falling sick not because of any health issues but due to the poor hygienic standards and deplorable sanitation facilities in the school. The washrooms are ill-maintained, as a result of which girls are especially subject to hardships.

Students are forced to hold their urine for long hours, leading to urinary tract infections and other related health complications. In fact, the students dread using the toilet.

Anjali, a 12-year-old student, said, “We are forced to control nature’s call from 9 am to 4 pm as the toilets are filthy and stink. It's a nightmare, especially during our periods, when we have to use the same toilets. Sometimes we skip school because we can't bear the thought of going through that ordeal day in and day out.”

“As a preventive measure we avoid drinking water in the school because we don't want to use the toilets. The washrooms do not have doors, water or dustbins. We don’t know where to throw trash,” said Maheswari, another student.

“The school has an open nala on both sides. They are clogged. Sewage and drainage water remains stagnated. It is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects and puts students at risk of contracting diseases like dengue and chikungunya,” said a teacher Akash Goud.

"The smell from the nala is unbearable and makes it difficult for students to concentrate in class. We have been maintaining the toilets all these years with our money. There are 16 bathrooms for 1,200 students. We don't have funds to repair the toilets or clean the nalas," said the school headmaster Balawanth Reddy, adding that the situation worsens for girls during menstruation.

However, the parents are not convinced.

"It's not just about the toilets but about the overall hygiene and health of the students. The government has to take the responsibility and provide necessary funds to ensure that the school has proper infrastructure and facilities”, said a parent Ravi Chandra.