Government schools in north Chennai to get new washroom facilities to fight COVID pandemic

According to a Chennai Corporation official, the project would be implemented using the grant provided by the Asian Development Bank that sanctioned funds to construct integrated stormwater drains in Kosasthalaiyar basin. The Asian Development Bank will provide Rs 15 crore. 

“The Asian Development Bank will provide funds to create wash room facilities in the buildings that are situated in the Kosasthalaiyar basin. A total of 78 municipality schools, 22 government girls’ schools and 24 urban primary health centres have been selected for the project. The selected buildings are in the areas where the concentration of poor people is higher,” the official said. 

Zones such as Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Ambattur fall under the Kosasthalaiyar basin. Using the grant, the civic body will create water supply, new toilet facilities and other amenities for the benefit of the children. 

Besides, for the urban poor communities, the civic body will establish mobile medical and diagnostic units attached to primary health centres and mobile water quality testing labs, an official said. Schools, which were managed by the School Education Department and respective municipalities are yet to be handed over to the Chennai Corporation. While management of those schools rests with the district administration, Chennai Corporation maintains the building and infrastructure. 

The official added that a detailed project report would be prepared to implement the project and an invitation has been given to private consultancies. “However, we have already decided to create hand washing facilities at the entrances of all the selected buildings,” he said. 

According to a Chennai Corporation report, densely populated urban poor areas require systems for early detection of diseases, water quality surveillance and wastewater based epidemiology in order to reduce the spread of infectious diseases including COVID-19. With the government yet to decide on reopening of schools for the academic year, the project could benefit students from poorer neighbourhoods in fighting the pandemic better, officials said.