The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to appoint two officers to conduct surprise checks on civic schools to verify the claim of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that they are providing clean and separate toilets for boys and girls.
The HC was hearing a suo motu (on its own) public interest litigation seeking better toilets and drinking water facilities at civic schools. The HC had taken suo motu cognisance of a letter written by activist Bhagwanji Raiyani, who had attached a report which appeared in dna on August 28, 2008, pointing out that there were no toilets in municipal schools.
"We direct the education department of the state government to appoint two officers not below the rank of section officers. The nominated officers shall take surprise inspections of five schools in each ward and verify whether the facilities, as claimed by the BMC, are available," observed a division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Ajey Gadkari.
The HC has directed the government officers to visit the schools without giving intimation to any BMC officer. The nominated officers have been asked to file a report by December 18.
BMC counsel Anil Sakhare informed the HC that separate toilets for boys and girls have been provided at over 1,200 civic schools. "Cleaning of schools which are housed in big buildings is outsourced to private agencies. Plus, there are water purifiers to provide clean drinking water. Water tanks are cleaned twice a year," said Sakhare.
The HC was initially irked by a BMC affidavit which stated that they have relied on reports of two NGOs which said that the civic body is providing necessary facilities at its schools. "This shows that the BMC officers have not personally conducted a survey to verify whether the facilities are provided at the schools. This shows non application of mind on the part of the officers," remarked Justice Oka.
Raiyani had written the letter after reading an article in dna titled: 'No loos lead to girls dropping out, says study'. "Honour and health of women should be of paramount concern of any country. But the commercial capital, Mumbai, presents a dismal picture on the sanitation facilities for girls in its civic schools, which does not only lead to gynaecological diseases in them but also causes an astonishing dropout rate," the survey report said. "Sixty per cent of BMC schools do not have proper toilets, some have not water in restrooms," it added.
The HC has kept the PIL for hearing on December 19.
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