J. Priyanka, an 11-year-old inmate of the tribal welfare hostel at Dumbriguda in Anantagiri mandal, wakes up before sunrise and races to the toilet to see if there is water. On most days, she returns disappointed as water supply is erratic. She and her friends then trek down to a canal 20 minutes away.
Even on the rare occasion that there is water supply, many still prefer taking the long walk to the canal. The reason? There are just 10 toilet cubicles for 420 students, which comes down to an shockingly abysmal ratio of 1 toilet for every 42 students.
“Students of Classes IX and X somehow make do on the campus by procuring water from nearby houses. But others are forced to go to the stream for their ablutions. We send a helper along with the children as there is no proper road to the stream,” said an official at the school.