There is more to the mess at the Cujira integrated school complex other than the traffic chaos. Lack of water supply in the huge complex consisting of five schools and higher secondary schools has put the students as well as the staff at the institutions to great hardship.
Safe drinking water and inadequate water for toilets has come to haunt the educational institutions in the three-year-old complex. As a temporary measure, the school managements are using the borewell water for toilets only whereas students are asked to bring drinking water from their respective homes.
“We cannot risk the health of the students which is why they are asked to get water from their respective homes. Once the water pipeline is laid, we can install purifiers and filters… As of now, we do have huge drinking water containers but only the staffers use it,” said a senior teacher of a high school at Cujira, on condition of anonymity.
It was also told to this reporter that two institutions at the complex manage drinking water through tankers.
Absence of water supply pipeline has also affected the hygiene as the institutions are totally dependent on the mucky borewell water for use in toilets.
“There is no issue with water in the toilets because we pump the borewell water to the overhead tanks. These are supplied to the toilets but the unclean water dirties it,” the administrator added.
CM Manohar Parrikar, during his inspection last week, was exposed to the reality. He assured to begin the work on fast track. “The PWD is most likely to begin the work of laying the water pipeline by month-end. CM has ensured that all authorities concerned are expeditiously functioning towards resolving the problem,” said a source.
PWD Executive Engineer Dileep Dhawalikar said they have submitted a proposal to the finance department for expenditure approval, following which the process would soon begin.
And then there is stagnant water in the complex as the open gutters could lead to serious health hazards. Sources said that water from the stadium nearby flows into the complex and results in the overflowing of the gutters.
“The CM and GSIDC have been informed about it,” he said adding, “We are assured that these problems will too soon be resolved.”
CM’s inspection last week came soon after Herald reported about the traffic chaos on day-one of the new academic session.
The Goa Human Rights Commission also took cognizance of a complaint filed by Advocate Aires Rodrigues about the traffic woes and lack of infrastructure at the Cujira complex. A traffic officer told Herald that additional manpower is deployed to ensure smooth flow of traffic during the peak hours.
Similarly, the education department has taken a note of the existing problem. Director G P Bhat had told Herald they are following up with the departments concerned to ensure students and the staff do not face any inconvenience.
